Dark and Scarlet
by Whytegriffin
Summary: Rapunzel and the children have just gotten over scarlet fever with no complications - apparently the magic of the sun isn't completely gone in them. But Eugene never caught it as a child - and he doesn't have the heritage of a magic flower.
1. Chapter 1

"It's so good to be well again!" Rapunzel exclaimed, snapping a sheet in the window before folding it. The early summer breeze blew in through the window, tossing her bangs back into the rest of her hair. Her mother behind her laughed softly.  
"Dear, you and the children were sick for less then a week. Normally scarlet fever takes far longer to get over then that!" Rapunzel half turned, letting her eyebrows arch in slight surprise as her mother went on. "I had it when I was a child, and my brother - your Uncle Tyrone - nearly died of it."  
"Oh." Rapunzel replied, not really sure how to reply to that. Sure, she had been out of the tower for 15 years but she still had much to learn!  
"Well, at least Eugene got out after locking himself up here all week to take care of you babies." He mother continued, frowning at one of the sheets as she picked it up. Erin was wetting the bed again.  
"Yes! And do you know where he went?" She asked.  
"Should I?" The queen asked, shaking her head with a smile. Rapunzel turned around with her hands on her hips.  
"He went to the orphanage! You would think that after spending all week around us he would at least like to get some air!" She exclaimed, an admiring smile on her face the whole time.  
"Well I expect the orphans have missed him, poor things. It's wonderful the joy he brings to them." The queen smiled gently, thinking of her son-in-law. To think that they would have hanged him without a trial fifteen years ago. "He brought none of the children?"  
"No, they're out playing." Rapunzel explained, looking out the window to watch her children gamboling in the yard with the squires. The castle had been so quiet that week, exempt for the moaning of the children - and of herself, Rapunzel admitted - and Eugene's calming voice at all hours of the day and through the night. He had looked a little haggard that morning when he kissed her goodbye for the day, but Rapunzel hadn't had the heart to stop him from going. "They couldn't do much today, anyway. Eugene told me that the children were sick there and they needed help."  
"Oh? He seems to be the authority on all such things." The queen smiled. Eugene did after all seem to have quite a hand with sickness, particularly in children.  
"I don't know about that, but he told me that there was a breakout of fever when he was young. He was a mainstay then, too."  
"He would have been one of the older children, I assume." the queen observed, laying the pillowcase down and lifting up another. This was all the Fitzherbert's bedding, which the princess insisted on doing herself because 'she could handle it'. "As long as I remember the year right, he would have been about ten. I remember hoping that wherever you were you were safe from it. That was such a horrible year..." she sighed, pondering and remembering. The very worst part if being a monarch was not being able to help your people; food and charity went only so far. Regrettably it could not take sickness away. "Well, his must have been a mild case." She said with a smile, pulling herself back out of the past.  
"Hmmm? Oh, no, mamma. Eugene's never had the fever." Rapunzel said carelessly, laying another sheet on the pile. The queen stopped what she was doing immediately and turned to her daughter, who didn't notice the silence at first and then looked up to see her mother's face blanched white, looking very concerned at that pillowcase. Rapunzel felt her heart freeze up a little, seeing that look. "Mamma, what is it?"  
"Nothing, Rapunzel. Probably nothing." She shook her head and didn't look up.  
"It's not nothing." Rapunzel insisted, feeling her face get hot. Why couldn't there be some way for people to tell her everything she ever needed to know instead of discovering things late like she always did? It was like when he almost lost his leg hunting because of some fool diplomat whose life he saved. "It's Eugene ..." She gasped. Suddenly she could hardly find her tongue and everything sank into a familiar cold dark. "Y...you're worried."  
"It's just that if he's never had the fever then ... Rapunzel, it was only yourself and the children that had it, and so mildly that I'm inclined to think that it is still because of that flower, and maybe because of that no one else here was infected. But if Eugene is at the orphanage ...there is no protection for him there... perhaps he had it once when he was very small, Rapunzel."  
"If he did do you think he would still be in danger?"  
"No, no children that I knew that had it have been taken ill by it again." Rapunzel wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but she couldn't. She somehow doubted that he had ever been ill with it, just lucky when he was a child - or perhaps not so.  
"I'm going to send a man for him." Rapunzel said suddenly. Her face had become as white as the sheets she was folding and she raced to the door just as the feet of a horse sounded on the street. Rapunzel glanced out the window. He was far away but unmistakable and Rapunzel let out half the breath she was holding. Eugene was back. She raced down the stairs, past confused butlers, maids and courtiers to the stables, down narrow servant's staircases, through the empty kitchen and opened it wide with a relieved smile. But as Eugene road to the door the smile fell from her face. There was something wrong; Eugene never road all the way to the door. His head was bent down and he was leaning forward in the saddle. Rapunzel gasped, stepping over the threshold, her face had still pale.  
"Eugene?" she whispered. He raised his head slightly, like he was just waking up, and his eyes barely met hers.  
"They sent me home...I...I'm just tired." he gasped, his voice was ragged and barely audible, and his eyes closed wearily.  
Rapunzel took another step forward, her hand out and touching the horse.  
"It's alright." She told him, nodding her head gently. Half of her wanted to believe him, but she had seen him before when he'd had no sleep in five days. That had been two years ago, and she did not remember him being like this. Her heart was in her throat as she looked at him - she couldn't say anymore. Before she could step closer he groaned softly and toppled to ground. "Eugene!" she screamed, not able to move fast enough to catch him before he hit the pavement with a dull thud. She fell down beside him with a sob, pulling him onto her lap, calling for help in between calling his name at him. His face was flushed, burning hot to the touch.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Fwynn! Fwynn! Fwynn!" The two year old raced after her oldest brother.  
"Mite, you stay and play."  
"Nope. Come with you."  
"Okay, fine." He rolled his eyes, picking her up and hoisting her onto his back. "Come on, mama needs me." He said, bouncing her along as he ran. His mother had called his name, but there was something so urgent in her voice. He couldn't be sure whether she had actually called him or not. Still, he was sure that he had not told his youngest sister a lie. It was pretty certain that she needed someone at that moment, and as they drew nearer to the sound of her voice still calling, a trickle of fear fingered his spine. His young nerves steeled themselves for what he might see, and he was suddenly certain that she had not called him.  
He dropped his baby sister off of his back, slinging her onto his waist to change the weight as he ran. Plus, if there was anything she shouldn't see ... God willing nothing like his father's hunting accident of a few years past had happened again. He had never seen so much blood in his young life, and he still had nightmares from it.  
His mother was kneeling on the ground: first sign for alarm. Second sign: his father's horse was standing there by the door. His father always unsaddled, brushed and stabled the horse himself - prince or no, no exceptions. Eugene sprinted rather then slowing down, closing the distance that apparently no one else had seen fit to cross. Where was everyone? The servants? Anyone?  
"Mama!" He gasped out of breath as he came close. That was is father lying prone in her arms, his eyes fluttering only a little as if he were trying to wake up but couldn't quite manage.  
"Eugene!" She gasped, looking up at him. Mite slipped off of his hip and ran over, cupping her mother's face in her little hands.  
"Why is dada takin' nap outside? Mama, why you cryin'?" She inquired with her own little face distorted in sympathy. Rapunzel sniffed and tried to smile at her daughter, but she couldn't.  
"Estelle, I ... dada's very sick." She looked up at the elder brother who didn't need prompting but rushed in through the door behind her to get help. The toddler flopped down on her backside next to her father's head and sandwiched his face between her hands. After a second she let out an exaggerated gasp and snapped her hands back to her sides.  
"Dada hot!" She gasped. "Hot wike Fwynn and Mite esterday."  
"Estelle, it was last week." Rapunzel corrected her.  
"Dada gonna get better? Like Mite?" The toddler inquired eagerly. Rapunzel sighed, shaking her head a little. Eugene and his nicknames. Then she looked back at Eugene and ran a hand through his hair. Why must he always be knocking at death's door?  
"Yes, Estelle." She whispered, but her eyes were trained on her husband; his shallow breathing, his burning skin. "Yes, he'll be alright."

Young Eugene Fitzherbert ran through the narrow halls, up stairs - but past no servants until he almost ran headlong into the cook.  
"Eugene Fitzherbert! How many times -"  
"Where is everyone?! Are you all deaf?!" He cried in frustration.  
"I beg your pardo-"  
"My mother has been screaming for help and no one has come!" The scolding, disciplining look on cooks face fell away immediately.  
"What is it? What's wrong?"  
"My dad." Eugene explained, suddenly pathetic and not wanting at all to be. He was almost 15 - he should be a man. But...it was just too much like that hunting scene, his mother crying in worry. "He's ill. Cook, he road to the door and fell off the horse, from what I could tell." The cook gasped, something of an ejaculation came under breath, and she took off in the same direction the young prince had been running with him on her heels.  
"Gave a lot if them the day off, young sir." She called after her as she ran, poking her head in doors here and there looking for people. "Being as last week was so busy as it was. It was all I could do to keep things coming up to your dad to make sure he didn't run all the way down here whenever he needed something. I tell you, young sir. Fifteen years in the castle, I would think that he knew what a bell cord was for. Poor thing so tired himself. I thought it strange he didn't catch a thing from you children."  
"But, Cook, I think he's got scarlet fever."  
"Young sir, no one else here..."  
"He went to the orphanage." Eugene explained. The cook slowed down for only a moment, trying to stay focused on her mission. "Mama didn't say, but she looks so scared."  
"No doubt where he caught it from, then." The cook half grumbled. Eugene couldn't tell if she was angry or what, because that was how she usually talked. She was most likely worried. "Look, lad," she spoke quickly, turning to him for a second. "I'll see to the servants getting your father into the house. You run along upstairs. Tell you're grandmother what's happened, she was in your parent's suite, and then for the doctor. Right, lad?"  
"What about the bedding? Mamma was washing today-"  
"Ahh!" She cried, throwing her hands on the air. "Then's the day that I forget my work and a prince remembers it. Yes, lad. There are chamberlains and maids still aplenty up in the rooms. I think that your grandmother will tell them what ought be done." Eugene nodded vigorously and shot off through the castle. Blast! Finally a chance to run in the palace and the thought never came to his mind for him to enjoy it! The cook watched him only for a moment before returning to her quest. She shook her head in sad worry. She did not know if young Eugene really understood just how serious things had become.


	3. Chapter 3

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel, what's happened, dear?" A voice called from over the rise. Rapunzel looked up and searched the horizon a moment before she could see her father heading toward her. He must have heard her too...why hadn't anyone else heard her? He was coming from the direction of the stables, slowly because the pain in his aging body only let him go so quickly. Estelle's head popped up and she pushed herself up on Eugene's chest, running toward the old king.  
"Grapa! Grapa! Grapa!" She squealed, still not quite understanding that the rest of her siblings said grandpa. She was on him before he could even see Rapunzel clearly. "Papa, dada's sick. He sleepin' on grass." She explained with the authoratative air of a toddler. Now it was the king's turn to go a shade paler as he looked at his daughter, quickening his pace.  
"Rapunzel? Eugene - What's happened?"  
"It's like Estelle said, papa. Eugene is ill." Rapunzel answered quietly. There was an absence, a strange detachment - an emptiness in her voice. With Estelle in hand he took the last few steps to his daughter and son-in-law, sighing in pain when he saw Eugene half splayed on the lawn, his head in the lap of his wife, whose face was wet from crying, her hair disheveled and disorderly. The king's daughter had gone through much being married to this man - who had gone through equally much on the receiving end - but still, it didn't seem to make it right. He looked around, his eyebrows diving down his nose to a frightening scowl.  
"Where is everyone?" He asked her. He was an old man and he had heard her calling all the way from the nearly empty stables.  
"I don't know." Rapunzel gasped, clearly making sure she wouldn't cry. Poor thing had more than one good reason to be crying right now with a miscarriage not two weeks before. Now her husband- "Eugene - Flynn," she corrected herself since that was what everyone else called him. "heard me. That's why Estelle is here, I'm sure that she wouldn't leave him alone. He heard me call for help out in the courtyard, but no one else came with him. Someone will be here any minute, Papa. Flynn ran to get help." The old king could only nod. Behind the kind, wise old mouth his teeth were clenched tightly together. how dare anyone ignore his daughter in this way! What was becoming of this mingdom? Before Rapunzel could stop him he was getting down beside her on his poor stiff knees. He had one hand on her shoulder and the other was feeling Eugene's burning forehead. "How?" He finally asked her, leaning against his cane with both hands. Rapunzel shook herself as if just waking.  
"Hmm? He was helping at the orphanage, father. They've had an outbreak there as well." Her breath caught in a sob again, causing Estelle to pop up again, this time from her grandfather's side, and put her baby arms around her mother. "Eugene never had scarlet fever." Rapunzel continued, shaking her head. "I didn't realize." Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Could she have stopped him if she had known? Would he have listened? Very likely not. Would he have realized the danger? Difficult to say.  
"He was doing right, Rapunzel." Her father comforted her, pushing a long stray hair out of her eye. Rapunzel sighed heavily, her face turned toward his.  
"Mama said that the fever can be dangerous. I didn't know that, papa. And Eugene was so tired this morning."  
"I am lying here." Came a sudden low mumble. She looked down to see that sarcastic, lazy smile and gasped, relieved to see him conscious again. He still looked just as bad. Rapunzel pushed his hair back and kissed his forehead.  
"Flynn is finding someone to help carry you to our room." She explained to him. Eugene nodded weakly and Rapunzel suppressed a sob, shooting a hasty, soul-wrenching glance at her father. He had never accepted an order to be carried without a fight. Of course, he hadn't exactly sat up when he awoke, either, and he made sure that there was a sarcastic remark heard, so he couldn't possibly be too far gone.  
"Don't you even think of dying on me!" Was all she could get out without breaking down. She heard tramping feet behind her, a good three or four pair, thank God. Eugene was lying there smiling at her, of course.  
"Nah." He sighed. "If I do you'll kill me."

Rapunzel paced back and forth in their room, biting her finger nervously as she watched the physician examine her husband. Poor Eugene was shuddering with his shirt off, his eyes halfway closed as he leaned back limply on the pillows. Rapunzel wanted to hold him and comfort him, as if that would do any good. In all their life together he had never looked this bad - at least not from illness. This was Eugene Fitzherbert - he'd certainly had his share of injuries; but he looked horrible. His chest was covered in red...Rapunzel guessed that was where the fever got its name, since neither she nor the children had gotten any sort of rash. Finally he let Eugene pull his shirt on and Rapunzel was over helping him in an instant, which was just as well because his fingers fumbled clumsily - not at all like Eugene - and they were trembling. Rapunzel put her hands in his place, buttoning his night shirt and kissing his forehead, pushing his head back to the pillows. She ran her hand softly through his hair.  
"Rest, love." She whispered with her lips lingering there for a minute before she trailed down his nose and to his mouth. He wasn't exactly in sorts for that, but he let her kiss him anyway.  
"Rapunzel, I'm sorry..." He started, but she cut him off with a finger in his lips.  
"There's nothing to be sorry for, alright? You rest and get better. Everything's going to be fine." She whispered, sliding her hand down his face and looking into his eyes. His eyes were still half shut and eyebrows were drawn together like when he had bad headaches. Eugene sighed and smiled weakly. Rapunzel's eyes widened, that smile recalling terrifying memories - but she wasn't going to 'freak out' on him, at least not yet. He had already turned his head and closed his eyes, so he wouldn't have seen her fear, and she was afraid. He rarely acted this weary. "I'll be back." She whispered kissing him again. She turned as the royal physician cleared his throat and nodded to the door. Rapunzel followed him out and closed the door gently.  
"He has scarlet fever." The little man started. Rapunzel rolled her eyes impatiently.  
"I know that." she burst out at him. "I didn't need you here to tell me that. Now what can we do for it?" He sighed and started cleaning his glasses - something that he never seemed to tire of doing, but he did it more when he was nervous, which made Rapunzel nervous.  
"He has a very high fever, worse than you or your children at any point." Rapunzel almost felt her face blanch. It already had so many times that day. Suddenly she felt again like she had no stomach. She didn't want to hear what came next, but he continued anyway. "Princess, I will tell you immediately that this looks to be very serious." Rapunzel nodded. She had never heard anyone use the word 'serious' in conjunction to illness, at least not within her family. It sent freezing shudders down her spine and she didn't like it one bit. "He should be kept very quiet, no unnecessary moving around, as little speech to and from him as possible. You might do best to keep your children away from him."  
"But they've already had it." She cut in almost before he had finished speaking. "I thought that once someone had it-"  
"No no, I'm not worried about that. Your children, it seems, would be in very little danger no matter what the case. No, princess, it's for Eugene. If they excite him too much, strain him - Your highness, if you want your husband to get well he will need every last ounce of strength he's got, and I do mean every bit of it!" Rapunzel's face was somber. She should listen, perhaps, but not let Eugene see his children?  
"Can't I have them up here a little?" She begged. "Eugene will just pine for them and sicken himself if he cannot see them." She explained pathetically, ringing her hands, neither of which did she ever have any intention of doing.  
"I...I do not know, princess. I do not advise it, but I will leave you to do what you will. It isn't as if we don't both know that you do what you will."  
"Yes." She whispered almost to herself. Even if he was the same height, they rarely if ever saw eye to eye.  
"Now I know, naturally, that the children and yourself have all just gotten over scarlet fever so you probably feel as if you know what you're are dealing with." Rapunzel crossed her arms. Of course she knew that this little man knew more about any disease than she did, but he didn't have to sound so high and mighty about it! " I'm telling you this for his good, princess. Peas be patient. For him I fear it will be much different - far more grave a matter." Rapunzel's spine went even a little more rigid. "His throat is very swollen already, not ever a good sign. So saying, you must keep a steady watch on him to be sure that he is breathing, most especially when he is sleeping." Rapunzel nodded. Perhaps simple enough, but she was scared to death. Eugene had - well, he'd had his share of injuries - stupid accidents, assassination attempts - several hunting accidents. Not even when he ended up splitting his entire left leg open had she been able to make him stay down for two week. Now he barely had the strength to lift his head.  
"He'll be alright, though." Rapunzel said."Probably take him two weeks before he's off trying to get himself killed again." She smiled. The physician smiled too, but it was more as if to humor her then anything else. There was something he was leaving out, even she could see that, but she didn't care to have him tell her. She turned her back on him and poked her nose into her room before entering, closing the door behind her. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even, but even across the room it sounded ragged. She crawled up beside him, laying her head on his chest, feeling the frightening heat of his body, just how harsh his breathing was - his heart seeming to beat so slowly to her ear. She sat up and sighed, kissing his burning forehead and pulling the blankets up to his chest. Now, since her father had Estelle and Flynn had told his grandmother what had happened, chances were pretty good that the rest of the children had been gathered together as well. Rapunzel took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, ignoring how she was shaking. She had to tell the rest of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The halls were quiet. Too quiet. It was bad enough slipping through the corridors at night undetected, but without her brothers' snoring there was nothing that could be counted on for background noise. Well, so much more the challenge! Leora gathered her long skirt so she wouldn't make noise walking up the stairs. She had gotten rather good at sneaking around the guards and considered it a proud skill since it was her father who had taught her. Her father. She wasn't 'allowed' in this wing during the day - and much less at night. She and all of her siblings had been banned from the north wing while their father was ill. It was frightening her - and not just her, either. The little ones didn't understand, especially not Estelle, and despite everything that mamma said, the maids always said something different when they thought no one was listening. Leora didn't remember a time before when her father was so ill that they needed to be kept away and kept quiet. But why should she or Eugene be included in e exile? It wasn't as if they didn't know better then to run screaming through the hall or play hide-and-seek in their parent's bedroom. She was thirteen - practically a grown woman. Besides, their mother had brought them up to see him almost every day as it was. She didn't like not being able to see her father at will like she always had. He was always there - always there for everyone. She had often heard the servants cursing about that; giving out the good bread to the orphans or some scrawny tradesman or even worse the beggars that still came around. She had even been scolded by one of the maids that very day because her father was ill - and her chief complaint had been that he'd been caring for orphans. What a crime! Besides that, the young princess was in her cycle, and her cycles were horrible. Her back and head ached and she felt like throwing up or fainting through more then half of it. Sure she wasn't a baby any more, but he always at least said something to help her feel better. On her worst days he had been known to just pull her onto his lap and sing to her like she was a baby again. She stopped, waiting for a guard to go by, and wondered if she should keep going. This was so selfish! His footsteps receded and Leora leapt forward, almost racing to the door and slipping inside. It was dark in the antechamber of her parent's suite and that meant she could clearly see the crack in the door across the room. She hesitated at the door for a moment before gathering enough courage to touch the handle.  
"Come in, Leora." She heard her father's voice say. She gasped loudly in surprise, her hands flying away from it making almost enough noise for the guards to come swallowed hard. How had he known she was there? She cracked the door open just slightly, enough for her face to be seen only a little by the candle's glow. "Come on, princess." He whispered, holding his hand out. "Quietly. I think your mother is asleep." Looking across the bed she could see her mother was asleep - and snoring. How very un-lady like. "You're not feeling well." He whispered with understanding. Leora could see that he was in pain, his every word ragged because of his swollen throat. Leora felt her own throat briefly, tears stinging in her eyes, thinking how much it had hurt for two days. Two days! Her father had been smiling through it for a ten days. She shook her head. "But daddy, you're ill." She whimpered, trying to stop her lip from quavering. The way that the maids talked had scared her more than she would admit to. She wanted as much time with him as she could have. Still, she was being horribly selfish. "I should go back to bed. I'm sorry." "You get over right now, Leora Jean Fitzherbert!" Eugene demanded with a stern smile. The princess sighed and stumbled forward over her robe, her bright childish smile lighting her face as she ran to be cuddled by her daddy again. She knew he wouldn't smell the same, though; musky and manly. Doctors always had strange smells around him, smells that she hated because it took part of him away from her. She hadn't been on her parent's bed in ages, and it felt strange clambering up on it again. Eugene smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He was almost unbearably warm. She wondered how she had felt so cold when she was ill if her skin had been this warm. He hadn't had much time for any of them individually then. Little Estelle had the most attention, but none of them begrudged her because she couldn't understand why she had felt so bad. Leora merely found it unfair that she had to be sick the week before her course - miserable for two weeks. If she had been able to eat anything for supper she would have been on the verge of losing it. "Any worse than normal, honey?" He whispered. Leora coughed hearing how thick his throat sounded. Suddenly she hated herself again for having come.

"No - yes, daddy." She whispered with tears falling out of her eyes onto her night gown. "Daddy, you are going to get well, aren't you?" She gasped. Eugene didn't say anything. He was rubbing her back and stroking her hair like she was a baby. "Daddy?" She gasped.

"Yes." He answered. "I won't leave you alone." there was a space of silence. Leora, for a strange moment did not quite know whether she's could believe him. Not because she didn't want it! But he had sounded unsure. Very unsure, and Leora let out an unintentional sob. "What happened today?" He asked her suddenly, apparently liking the silence less than she did. "I heard your mother shouting." Leora sighed and snuggled her head further into her father's burning chest. "Leora?" He was using that voice on her. The one that said, 'tell it now'. The young princess gave a ragged sigh.  
"Joanna was scolding me because you're ill."  
"Well - what has that to do with you? I didn't catch it from you children."  
"No." She answered with her lips trembling. "That's why she was screaming at me. Because you went to the orphanage and contracted the fever from them. She said they weren't worth all that. But she doesn't know any if them!" She sobbed at last, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake her mother.  
"She was screaming at you!?" Eugene gasped hoarsely, pulling her away to see her face. "I didn't hear -"  
"Oh, she didn't dare scream up here." Leora sniffled. "I was in the kitchen, and she saw me taking some chocolate and she started with that."  
"She knows that you're allowed to take chocolate when you wish! You've never been one to sneak things! But than why was your mother outside the room?"  
"I, uh - I started crying and ran up stairs." She explained haltingly as she started sniffling again, "Daddy, I didn't know that she was going to follow me! I wasn't supposed to be up here, I know, Dad, but I didn't think about it! I was just running to my room, I didn't know that it was locked until I got there, though. She caught up with me and started scolding me for being up here when Mama came and saved me from her."  
"I'll have to speak with her about this." Eugene sighed angrily.  
"No, daddy. Mama discharged her. She sent her away."  
"Goodness." Eugene gasped, trying to decide whether Rapunzel had been too harsh in her actions. "But this isn't the first time that she's attacked one of you. Of course Eugene is not usually completely innocent, but that doesn't excuse her actions. Also, your mother is going through more than many of the people know." He sighed, gripping Leora's arm as a tear slid own his cheek. His poor Rapunzel. More than the younger children knew as well. Leora only knew about the little brother or sister that her mother had lost because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even for her the thought was difficult to grasp. First the baby, and now her father was fighting death again.  
"Because mama lost the baby." She whispered, starting to cry again. Eugene swallowed - or tried to swallow the lump in his throat. His swollen muscles refused and forced him to cough. Leora fell back off of his lap with no idea what she could do as her father struggled for breath. She started for her mother, but Eugene grabbed her arm with his free hand, shaking his head as he gradually forced his body to stop. He sighed, but it sounded more like a groan. Rapunzel moaned in her sleep, shifting in her chair. She would have been mortified at not waking up to that. "Are you alright, daddy?" She whispered. Eugene nodded, his eyebrows creasing down in pain while he leaned back, trying to breath easier. Leora sat beside him and held his hand up to her cheek while her tears fell down his arm. "No one understands that you're sad about loosing the baby too, do they?" Eugene smiled sadly and shook his head.  
" I don't know, dear." He whispered.  
"They don't." She insisted with angry tears touching the corners of her eyes. "None of them. The serving staff, the gentry, the lords - none of them! Daddy, mama told me not to say, but I have to."  
"Say what? What are you talking about?"  
"Some people are blaming you for the baby dying. They keep saying if you were home more, if you weren't always going off-"  
"Leora, that isn't so and you know it."  
"But why then, daddy? Can't you tell me so I can stop them?" She sobbed. Eugene sighed and held her head against his chest, stroking her golden hair. It looked so much like Rapunzel's had before he cut it. Rapunzel had never sung the incarnation around her - of course she had never cut her hair either, so no one knew for sure if perhaps Leora had the same gift. It would be used wrongly, and they all knew it. The thought of trying to save himself never even dawned on him, though he wondered maybe if it could have saved the baby.  
"Most of the time we don't know the reason, sweet. I - I don't know that we'll ever know the reason why they leave even before they come." Eugene shifted, leaning back on the bed, his eyes drooping from weariness. He hadn't been ill for even a week. This did not bode well with him. Still, he sighed, stroking his daughter's hair. "I remember my mother telling me, when I was quite little, that maybe they were just too perfect. Maybe the were already perfect, ready for heaven, ready to just watch over us. But I wonder if they can miss us, just a little, you know?" He gasped, holding Leora even tighter. Leora felt hot tears that weren't hers falling on her hand. They didn't know. None of them knew what her father was feeling. And Flynn was right. They were jealous because they were not as good as her father. She wrapped her hands around his neck - oh but his skin was burning! - and kissed him.  
"It's alright daddy. I'm here." She sobbed. Eugene coughed slightly, and she knew that he was smiling. He pulled her away, holding her hands and looking into her eyes.  
"Yes, you are." He whispered. His face and lashes were still wet, but he smiled and held her face in his hands. "And you are special and beautiful, and I am so, so proud of you. In all my dreams, I never could have thought you would be my daughter." Leora smiled widely, unable to reply. What does one say to that? "How will I ever leave you?" He whispered to himself.  
"What - what are you saying, daddy?" She gasped, the smile quickly fleeing her lips. Eugene drew a shallow, shaky breath, not holding her gaze the entire time, as if he were ashamed to. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to think about it, and he never said anything about it to Rapunzel. Never. He couldn't. He just couldn't do that to her. Leora was old enough. He hated himself, but he could tell her. Eugene already knew, perhaps he should never have told him - but they had to be strong, and they would be stronger together.  
"Leora," he sighed, "it's just - this illness. I'm so tired."  
"Daddy?"  
"Leora, I may die." He whispered, turning his head as if in shame.  
"No. No, papa." She gasped.  
"I don't want to. I don't want to leave you!" He gasped. "God knows I don't! But I will always be here for you. Always. Do you understand?"  
"Yes, papa." She sobbed, falling on his chest again and weeping.  
"Oh God, I don't to leave them." She heard her father whisper. Leora just clung to him, sobbing because her heart was breaking. He couldn't die, he just couldn't! If there was anything that she could do she would find a way.  
"But - you'll stay with us if you can, right? You'll get well, promise."  
"I can't promise." He whispered, his arms falling weakly around her instead of wrapped tight like that always were before. For his strength to be so far gone - no. He couldn't. He could beat this illness. He would. He had to see his sons become men. He had too walk his daughter's down the aisle, to give them away - a thought that ma de his throat catch. Leora would be coming of that age all too soon. This scarlet fever couldn't be the hardest thing he had fought through, could it?  
After a few minutes he turned his face to her and let out a something of a chuckle. "Hey, this isn't making you feel better at all, is it?" Leora sat up, sobbing a laugh while she wiped her eyes with her hands.  
"No, I suppose it isn't." She sniffled, smiling. "Well, it does a little."  
"Good." He whispered, brushing her hair away from her dark eyes. He kissed her forehead and held her close for a few seconds. "You should get back to bed, honey." He whispered. Leora nodded, rubbing her nose before kissing him back. "I need you to stay, daddy." She whispered. "I need you to keep mama away from the frying pans when I have suitors." She laughed. Eugene chuckled quietly, his smile pale and weak by now.  
"Yes, baby." He whispered, caressing her cheek, remembering how scared he had been the day she was born; scared that he wouldn't have her or Rapunzel anymore. He had cradled her next to his heart just the moment after to keep her from freezing in the cold and he wanted to do that now, he wanted to shield her from the cold of evil, and pain and death. He knew what she felt. He had to fight for her. "Now get back to bed. And don't let the guards catch you!" He joked. Leora turned with a mischievous smile - a perfect blend of his and Rapunzel's smile. Man, she was devious!  
"I can't believe that after all we've been through together; you don't trust me?" She winked, quoting her father. Eugene shook his head and laughed. "Good night, sweetheart." He whispered as she closed the door. Minutes passed without any noise from the guards. Yes, she did her father proud.

Thanks for reading so far. I have no idea why the program would not let me edit, but from what I can see it'll be bone solid block - no indents for paragraphs :/ It seriously erased all of my 'tabs' and wouldn't let me fix it, so; sorry about that.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eugene sighed, not really leaning on the pillows again since he wasn't really able to sit up without them - which was extremely disconcerting. The only time he remembered being so weak was when - well, when he had died in Rapunzel's tower. The night just seemed to go on forever. Why couldn't he get to sleep? Rapunzel was something of a comfort, snoring softly in the rocking chair, her feet pulled up onto the seat and her knees almost up to her chin. oh, why was he putting her through all of this? It wasn't fair to her. Sure, she was used to seeing him banged up. A cripple she could easily live with if that was the out come; but this time it was different. The doctor never said it on his daily visits, but Eugene could read his face. He could feel strength almost draining out of him. As he had told his oldest children, he could die from it. But he wouldn't give up. Not so soon. Not with Rapunzel still in the throws of a quiet grief, not with the youngest children gamboling around the castle oblivious to life. No. He had to stay there for them. If only he was strong enough. All he wanted to do was reach foreword and take his wife's hand in his, but he couldn't. He wished she would lay down beside him so he could touch her face, sooth her when she started crying in her sleep. She thought he was sleeping, and she was so tired that she didn't even know just how many hours in a night that she drifted off.  
"Rapunzel." He sighed, not actually meaning to say her name out loud. She shifted in her sleep and Eugene tensed, afraid that he had woken her. He was so tired - he should be sleeping. She moved again, just a little, and then she jumped forward, looking around the room, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Eugene would have gone red if he hadn't already been; not that she could see beneath the extensive whiskers that no one would shave because his skin was tender with the rash.  
"Eugene, I'm sorry." She said between a gasp and a yawn. He just smiled at her and didn't move.  
"Rapunzel, why don't you just sit on the bed?" He asked. She shook her head.  
"I don't want to fall asleep." She yawned again. Between him, the children and the nightmares that hadn't left her alone in the last two weeks, she was exhausted.  
"Babe, you fall asleep anyway." Eugene smiled. Then he sighed and looked downcast.  
"Can't I at least be close to you instead of staring half way to the other side if the room?"  
"Eugene, I'm right by the bed." Rapunzel scolded, finally sufficiently awake to think. Eugene sighed again dismally.  
"It just seems so far." He breathed. His voice sounded so harsh, and he was not joking. Rapunzel sat down hastily beside him, feeling his forehead before leaning against the pillows and his shoulder.  
"Leora tells me that you fired Joanna."  
"Leora was up here?"  
"I made her come in. She needed someone; Flynn's her older brother, but he just doesn't get it yet."  
"Get it - Oh. I forgot. No wonder." She trailed off. That explained part of the crying on Leora's, but it did not explain the screaming on the maid's part  
"So you did discharge her." Eugene put the question to her again.  
"I did." She admitted.  
"Why?"  
"If she thinks that she has the right to discipline my children, than she has another thought coming!" Rapunzel choked. "They're mine! And I'm right here for them, and..." She stopped right there, sniffling and trying to calm down. "I'm right here for them, Eugene. And the maids ...they don't make dealing with this - this illness any easier." She whispered. Eugene's hand moved up her back, resting on her head, pulling her a bit closer just by being there.  
"I know, baby, I know." He whispered with his lips on her hair. A few tears crept from her eyes.  
"Eugene..." She started before suddenly hiding her face in his shoulder and bawling. Eugene forced his arm to obey, pulling her as close as his strength would allow, wrapping his other arm around her waist.  
"It's alright." He whispered, terribly, terribly hoarsely. "Everything's going to be alright, sweet. You'll see."  
"Eugene - the - baby..." She sobbed, choking on the words as she spoke them.  
"I know." He whispered back, about to pull her into his arms, fully into his embrace, to cover her from the pain, to take it on himself - but his body couldn't obey him. His arms felt limp and useless, hanging on her instead of surrounding her. Still his hand moved lay on her head, catching in her braided hair and he laid his head on hers. Tears spilled out of his eyes as he lay there, useless. He couldn't help her, he couldn't be there for her; it felt as if he had stood by inconsequent when Rapunzel had gone through the miscarriage. There was nothing he could do, but he felt still as if somehow he had failed her; even though she screamed and sobbed in his arms the whole time, unable to stop it from happening. He'd had to be strong. He had no choice but to be strong - or at least seem strong when he was lost in the same torrents. Leora had been right about that. It was as if no one knew that the father of the child had loved it as well as the mother, could feel the pain of the loss as keenly as if it had been a child he had held. They didn't understand how he may sometimes in the deep of the night envy her even in her anguish. She had carried that baby if for just that short time. He would never so much as feel the slightest physical presence of him or her - ever. Rapunzel spread her arms out suddenly, enveloping him and holding him so tight! It was as if she knew what he had been thinking. Perhaps she did, they always seemed to know each other's thoughts. He sighed - a horrible, rasping sound - and let himself sink into her arms, to be strong for him as he sought to do the same for her. Her arms wrapped tighter still, tucking his face into her shoulder as she swayed ever so slightly.  
"I love you, dream." She whispered.  
"And I love you, dreamer." He whispered back. "We'll get through this."  
"I know."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oh, Eugene." Rapunzel sighed, shifting on the bed, setting aside her embroidery so she could run her hands through his sweaty hair. It had been ten days now, the bruise on his shoulder was mostly gone. Didn't his body know it had more important things to work on? He was sleeping, that was good. If he slept his body could fight and repair itself - emphasis on the fighting. The physician had already come in - a time every day that she dreaded. His face was always so stoic, it never gave her the slightest glimmer of hope. Estelle sighed and shifted in her sleep. Rapunzel had snuck her up for a nap. If Eugene woke up he could see her a bit more than the allotted ten minutes. Ten minutes! It was preposterous - as if they were visiting him in jail! Rapunzel tweaked it to include ten minutes for each child, so they got almost an hour. The younger three would sit and play as they were asked to. Eugene and Leora would bring their books; mostly to make it look good, but on occasion they would read aloud. The Tales of Flynnigan Rider were very often heard, but Rapunzel preferred the tales of Eugene Fitzherbert. Flynnigan Rider was amusing, but he was a rather selfish adventurer; one who rarely gave anything for anyone. He was almost exactly what Eugene had been when she first met him - with the exception that she would never know what the soul of the character was like beneath his charade. She let out another quiet, frustrated sigh and picked up the embroidery. She still had no skill, not like Leora had, but she didn't really care that much. She had never realized just how much time she had filled for herself in that tower. How she wished she could have some of that extra time now! Estelle wanted a dress like her mama's birthday dress - it was a shock to Rapunzel that she could still fit herself into her old dress - and Rapunzel wanted to do it all herself. It was taking her a long time. She had started it before Christmas of last year, and she was still only about halfway done.

"Mama?" Rapunzel nearly jumped off the bed at the sudden interruption. After a moment of catching her breath she looked up to see her second boy.

"Nicky. What do you need, sweety?" She asked, still sounding like she was catching her breath.

"Grandma said you would be up here." He answered, fitting his right fist into the flat of his left hand and not really looking at her.

"You knew I was up here. Now quiet, your father's sleeping. Why do you need me?"

"I...uh, I just kinda wanted to come up." He muttered. Rapunzel let out an angry breath and closed her eyes.

"Have the maids been talking again?"

"N..no, mama." He stammered.

"Well, what then?"

"Mama. Uh, mama... Mama, is dad going to be alright?" Rapunzel's jaw dropped open and she didn't say anything, so he just kept on going. "Is it true what the maids say when they're talking?" He blurted out, wringing his lanky hands like he didn't know what else to do with them. Rapunzel set her embroidery down firmly and pulled the nine-year old gently toward her.

"What are they saying, Styx?" Styx. That nickname was courtesy of Eugene as well - why that spelling, though, she didn't understand. Sticks, yes, he was thin as a pole. Rapunzel just kind of figured Eugene liked that spelling better and was ignoring the fact that it was the name of the river in the Greek underworld.

"Haven't Eugene and Leora already told you?" The boy said lowly but clearly.

"No, they only tell me that there is talk. They never say what of."

"They say that dad's going to die." He whispered, his eyes averted from Rapunzel again, this time looking at Eugene.

"What?!" Rapunzel gasped. No one had dared talk like that around her, but around her children?! "Who told them that?" She demanded.

"I don't know, mama. They don't say. They just call Matthew and Estelle poor things and shake their heads and they tell Flynn and Leora and me that we have to be brave because dad's going to die." Rapunzel fell back and gasped, wrapping her arms around his thin shoulders and pulling him close. When she touched him his whole facade broke down and he started crying, wrapping his arms around his mama. She shushed him, pulling his head deep into her shoulder so he would be quieter and rocking him back and forth. She didn't want him to see the tears spilling out of her eyes. "Flynn told me not to tell you, mama." He sobbed. "He told you not to tell because it would hurt you. I don't want to hurt you mama. I didn't hurt you, did I?" He sobbed again. Rapunzel shook her head and stroked his, wrapping her arms tighter around him. "No. No, of course you didn't!" she gasped. She knew what Eugene was trying to do - but son, he is still a child! You can't leave such a heavy burden on a child! "No one says anything, mama. Grandma and grandpa don't talk about him at dinner or breakfast, and dad just smiles and lays back when we come up here. Is he too sick to sit up, mama?"

"For now, Nicky, yes. It's alright, though. He's sick just like we were, remember?"

"Yes, mama, I remember. But none of us was sick this long!"

"I know, sweety. It's - it's not anyone's fault, though."

"Maids say it was the orphans-"

"Don't you ever repeat that again!" Rapunzel gasped, cutting him off. "If they ever blame your father's illness on those poor children again you tell me. And you tell me who they are because they're getting a tongue lashing from me! I am tired of this! All of it!"

"Rapunzel." Eugene whispered. She jumped again and let go of her son.

"Oh! Eugene, I'm so sorry! I woke you up!"

"Dad!"

"Hey, Styx." He smiled. "Taking care of your brother?"

"Yeah."

"Eugene-" Rapunzel moaned

"It's alright babe." He whispered. Everything was a whisper now. Rapunzl felt her heart go to her feet. Everything the maids were saying...had the doctor been telling everyone his suppositions except for her? No. No, she wouldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. They had lived through too much together to give up hope. She leaned up on the bed and smoothed his sweaty hair back from his forehead.

"Can I get you something?"

"I'm a little hungry." He admitted. He hated this...being waited on by Rapunzel. Doing it for her was one thing, but watching her go about through the day taking no time for herself was killing him - only figuratively. Rapunzel sighed almost happily. That was good, right, if Eugene was hungry?

"Nicholas, you stay here with your father. I'll be right back." She kissed Eugene's forehead and set her embriodery on the night stand. It wouldn't do to have it too wrinkled. Speaking of wrinkled, she looked down at her skirt and tried to smooth it out, but after a few failed attemptes she gave it up for lost and stepped out the door.

"Well, what trouble have you been up to, Nicholas?" Eugene asked. Nicholas stared ahead - that was normal for him, his mind was always in about twenty places a once - and his hands kept tapping together aimlessly. He shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Phft. You expect me to believe that? You mean you haven't been putting toads in Leora's bed or anything?"

"Oh, dad, you know that she isn't afraid of toads!"

"Yeah, I know it." Eugene cracked a weak smile. "But if I hear you've been pulling moths on her again I'm gonna smack you, understand?" He continued, completely serious. Nicholas colored and his head dipped down so his dad couldn't see him. "You better get 'em out." He threatened.

"Dad, they don't hurt anyone!"

"Yeah, well, everyone has something that they're unreasonably afraid of, and to use it to pick on her is cruel."

"Dad-"

"You know, last time she came to me crying, and she wouldn't even tell me that it was you who had planted a whole load of dead moths in her room. That was on her birthday. In the winter. I was ready to kill you, kid. So no more, do you understand?"

"Yeah, alright dad." He muttered.

"Well, what messes have you taught Matthew to get into?"

"Nothing..."

"Oh. Oh, no. I know that look! What have you been up to?"

"Uuhhhh..."

"Did you take Eugene with you? Or at least Max?"

"Um, yeah, we - we road Max." Nicholas muttered evasively.

"What have you been doing? Nicholas?"

"We were following one of mama's lanterns."

"Lanterns? No. Oh no!" Eugene covered his face with his hands. He told her it would never happen. He promised her that he would never forget her birthday! Now, of all times! Had she been wearing her dress? He didn't even remember if she had been wearing her lavendar dress! Had he been sleeping? "Why didn't someone remind me?" Eugene moaned, his hands still over his face.

"Well, Mite was running in here anyway, so I followed her and you and mama were both sleeping, so I chased her back out."

"But the whole rest of the day?" he asked. Nicholas shrugged.

"I dont know. I guess we didnt think about it - well, I didnt know it was until I saw the party in the town, and everytime someone was in here, you or mama were sleeping."

"But what about the lanterns? If Mite ran in here-"

"Grandma said to leave you two alone to sleep." He explained. "We each got our own lanterns. Bishop was there and he prayed for a really long time. Then Mite tried to set her hair on fire."

"I bet she did." Eugene smiled, sliding his hands off of his face. He would make it up to Rapunzel as soon as he could. "Well?"

"What?"

"Did you find out where they go?" Eugene whispered. He should stop talking or he would be sleeping by the time Rapunzel came back. Nicholas looked confused for a second before he remembered what had led to the conversation.

"They trailed up to a cliff with lots of hanging vines all over it." He shrugged. "Max kept on trying to eat the moss. Then we turned back."

"Hmm." Eugene mused. They had almost found the tower. There weren't lantern littering the forest sixteen years before, though, when he had come to her rescue and died instead. Maybe it was the wind. Either way, he was glad that they hadn't found the tower. Rapunzel didn't need a kid with broken bones to look after too. He smiled knowingly at the nine year old. "Why do I think that is the safest thing you've done lately?"

Rapunzel didn't mind going down to the old cook; she rather liked the woman. She was always kind to the children and she never scolded either her or Eugene like other servants felt free to do. Rapunzel did not like to play rank, but there was a time for everyone to hold their place! She could hear quiet talking as she walked. It sounded like her father and another man, and when she drew nearer she understood what they were saying.

"I have the ebony wood, your majesty. It is far more expensive than most, however."

"The cost is of no matter."

"Yes, sire. But you are sure that black is fitting? Perhaps the princess-"

"No. No, at this time we are not going to disturb her with the arrangements."

"Not to pry, you majesty, but is he to be buried within the family crypt? The shape is-"

"What are you speaking of ?!" Rapunzel demanded breathlessly, rounding the corner. The king and carpenter looked up guiltily and said nothing. Rapunzel's hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as she approached them, her eyes were burning with pain and anger.

"What are you doing, father?" She gasped as a tear rolled down her face. No. This couldn't be happening! Her father? Her own father? How could he do this?

"Rapunzel, sweet, I..." He trailed off. He was ashamed to admit what he was doing. She knew that he was ashamed. The carpenter, who had opened his mouth at first to ask a question, seemed to suddenly understand since he closed it quickly and fell back into the shadows.

"You're planning Eugene's funeral!" She gasped the last word with disdain and distaste. No! No, it couldn't be! Not her father too!

"Rapunzel, I'm afraid that - Rapunzel his chances are very slim, and - don't. Don't look at me like that. It's best to be prepared -"

"Eugene is NOT going to die, papa. Not now! Not for a long time!" She cried, the second half of her sentences broken up with sobs. Why was it so easy to cry lately? Her father moved forward to comfort her, but she backed away, shaking her head. "You can't do this! I'm getting him something from the kitchen right now." She sniffed, hiccuping like she'd been crying for a long time. "You can send that man away, papa. Please. Please!" She begged with her hands pleadingly clasped. It seemed to her to be waiting and asking for his death to build him a coffin so soon. Oh God, don't let him die! "Please, at least until...until the doctor tells me..." She trailed off her last words. She didn't want to hear those words about Eugene from anyone, especially not that little man who had told her (though kindly and gently) that her baby was dead the first time she had miscarried. She hated him - well, not really him. It was his utter lack of hope that despised. She had seen this lack of hope in his eyes the first day Eugene had been ill. She knew that if Eugene worsened, that soon he would tell her the same thing Gothel had told her; that Eugene was going to die and that she could do nothing about it.

"Alright, dearest." The king whispered and held his daughter since this time she did not back away. Eugene was her light and her hope...perhaps far too much. "No more until then." He didn't say what was on his mind, things that would sound horrible and callous. He wouldn't tell her that royal funerals were ponderous things to plan, that they took great time and detail. He couldn't voice that Eugene was so well loved by the people of their kingdom and others surrounding them that his funeral would pack the small island of Corona quite to bursting. And he would not tell the carpenter to stop his work. To his mind; Eugene, the man who had brought his daughter home safe, deserved more than he could ever repay. His funeral would be both the grandest and the most tragic that Corona would ever know - if only he hadn't had to live to see the day of his son-in-law's funeral. As he gazed down at his daughter he knew that part of her would be lost -irreperably- when her husband died. Why so soon? Rapunzel just nodded. She couldn't speak anymore. It was all just too much. She slipped out of her father's grasp and walked silently down the hall to the stairs. The king sighed, covering his face with his hands, shaking his head. His poor little girl!

"Sire?" The carpenter asked quietly. He was as concerned as anyone else, but he did have a job to do.

"Yes, the family crypt." The king answered in a low voice. "Dr. Fredrick has already told me quite conclusively his thoughts. Continue with your work, but no more in the palace unless I call you."

"Yes, your majesty." He bowed. biting his lip, he asked a bold question of the king. "Sire, the princess. Will - will she be alright?"

"I hope so." The king breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Happy anniversary, Eugene." Rapunzel whispered, snuggling next to him in the heat, ignoring the sweating and discomfort. She took his face in her hands and kissed him fully. Eugene moaned a little. Not exactly up for that kind of kiss.  
"Happy anniversary?" He asked. It most certainly was not their wedding anniversary. Maybe Rapunzel had lost it. Then his eyes widened out. "Babe, it was your birthday yesterday! It was your birthday and I forgot!" he gasped, clearly worried about it. Rapunzel paused. The thought hadn't occurred to her, no one had made any mention of her birthday - she didn't think that she had even left their room the day before.  
"I guess it was, wasn't it?" She mused. "You know I completely forgot?"  
"You're making Estelle a dress just like yours. I mean, clearly it didn't remind me, but it never dawned on you? You always wear your old dress on your birthday."  
"I know. I guess I've just been working on it for too long to notice." She shrugged. Then she gasped. "The lantern thing! Eugene, I forgot about the lanterns! We missed the lanterns!"  
"I know." He moaned. "I guess we fell asleep. Nicky said that he chased Estelle in here and your mom told him to just let us sleep. It bothers me that I didn't remember your birthday. Bothers me a lot." Eugene was serious, and very frustrated, but Rapunzel waved her hand carelessly.  
"Eugene, I forgot my birthday. Don't even worry about it. Besides, it's just a birthday. Nothing special." She shrugged.  
"Yes it is special. To me it is." Eugene insisted. "Your birthday showed you the lanterns, showed you life - it brought you home!" Rapunzel lay her hand on his chest, trying to quiet him down. No exertion - at least that's what Dr. Fredrick had said at the beginning. He never bothered saying things like that anymore. Now Rapunzel knew why. Should she tell Eugene? His voice was just so very harsh.  
"No, Eugene. You did." She whispered with her hand on his face as she gazed deep into his eyes. "You showed me beauty, kindness, joy. You showed me love,Eugene. And you; you brought me home."  
"But that was nothing." He mumbled, wishing he wasn't blushing - wait, he wasn't. That was still the rash.  
"Eugene Joseph Fitzherbert, you died for me. You looked into my eyes, and when you did you poured your soul into mine." she gasped, the memory forever fresh, forever real in her eyes. "You gave me your life by taking away my chains - by taking away the one thing that could save your life." Her voice sank to a whisper, shuddering with tears. "Oh, you loved me! You wouldn't let me live in that hell-"  
"You loved me. You chose that hell over any possibility of escape, of freedom. No, Rapunzel. You gave me everything. You taught me to live, you taught me to love and to dream." He gasped. There were tears in both of their eyes, Eugene's hand was weakly touching her hair, trying to sweep it back while she held his face firmly in one hand, her other hand pressed gently over his lower chest, where beneath it was a ragged scar. A beautiful scar, unlike any other. Her hair had healed scars, her tear did not.  
"I would do it again." They both said at once, lost in eachother's eyes. The years made no difference. He loved her more than anything, more than he had ever loved himself.  
"So what's this 'anniversary' stuff?" He asked finally, deciding to break the intense atmosphere.  
"The day after my birthday, Eugene. Come on! Sixteen years ago today Max broke you out of jail and you came to rescue me. Sixteen years ago you-" Rapunzel choked up. She couldn't say it. Any other year it would have been nothing, but now? Now, when she had caught her father making funeral plans for her husband? She felt that same fear of the sixteen years ago when Eugene stumbled into the tower and Gothel had stabbed him from the shadows. Or even when he had come back to her, as they entered the kingdom. Thank God for Max; Eugene would never have gotten through otherwise. That was a nervous, hollow fear, when they didn't know if he was going to be hung even though he had returned the lost princess. But she had a hard time pushing down that deep pit of fear in her stomach. It was like he had cut her hair all over again - but there was nothing more in her tears, or she wouldn't have lost either of their children; not with as many tears as she had shed.  
"Sixteen years ago today, I died." Eugene sighed. He sounded a bit incredulous, as if he couldn't believe it had really happened. His left hand moved shakily to her head and Rapunzel immediately leaned down to his chest. She could feel him breathe - but the breath was shallow and strained, as if it took great effort. Is heart beat in her ear, slower than normal, but to her it sounded strong, just a little tired, like a good night's rest would bring it back. She nestled her head deeper. Nothing comforted her more than the touch and sound of his beating heart. It couldn't stop again. No. Not until they were older, until their children were grown and ready to take care of themselves.  
"Stay with me this time, Eugene." She cried, grasping his shirt in her hands.  
"Rapunzel..."  
"Please, Eugene!" She sobbed. "Stay for Eugene, he can't really grow up without you here. And Leora. Eugene, no one understands her as well as you do. Nicholas and Matthew are just so young...and Mite! Eugene, what would my baby do without you?" Rapunzel's face was still buried deep in his chest. She couldn't see his face, how he looked at her - how he always looked at her. She didn't hear his breath quicken or see the tears in his eyes. If it was his choice? Yes. Of course he would stay with them! He would fight harder than he had ever fought. Rapunzel and his babies were everything that he had in this world. But was it his choice?  
"I will fight for you." He whispered, and Rapunzel could tell from his eyes; from the gentle touch on her chin that caused her to lift her eyes to his that he meant for it to be a whisper. "I will always fight for you. Forever. You're going to plan another lantern festival, right?"  
"Hmm?" Rapunzel asked, her mind not registering things quickly at the moment.  
"It'll be silly, of course. Incredibly silly, but we can make up for your birthday when I get over this."  
"And you are going to get over this!"

"Yes I am." He smiled. He wasn't completely sure of why he said that, because his already queasy insides were shaking as he said it. But somewhere in the deep, deep of his heart there was a small solid spot. Whether it was stubbornness or faith he didn't know, but he felt it there. Barely there - like the tear that fell from his beloved's eye - but there. "Oh, I love you, babe." He gasped, suddenly overwhelmed by her familiar, beautiful green eyes. He would have fallen to kissing her, but at this point the only thing his weakened body would have done was to have fallen. Rapunzel understood. She held him in her arms and started to smother him in gentle, passionate kisses. Eugene smiled, not really doing much of the kissing, just breathing her air, tasting her lips on his. He didn't think his kiss could taste very good at the moment anyway. Her arms encircled him tighter, drawing him closer and pulling him into her. She pulled her head up, cradling his under her chin and swaying to and fro just a little. He kissed her neck and sighed, relaxing completely in her arms. He was so tired.

"Rapunzel." He yawned.  
"Shhh." Rapunzel answered. She knew he was falling asleep. She pressed his hot forehead to her lips. "I'm not going to leave you ever."

Hi!

Thus endeth another chapter! I want to forwarn you all that the next ones may take me a bit longer to turn about because the first six were about ready when I started publishing them. Please be patient with me! Thank you for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Rapunzel, are you alright?" Her mother asked, coming behind her and smoothing her hand over her shoulder. The princess sighed; nerve wracked, weary, pained by how everyone was treating her, and by the fact the Eugene had not improved. It had been more than two weeks now. The doctor had just left, and Rapunzel hadn't gone back in to Eugene yet.  
"Yes, mama." She answered quietly, not looking up.  
"Rapunzel, I - I can't pretend to know completely what you're going through, but I want you to know that I understand-"  
"Mama, he's worse." She blurted. She still didn't look up. "How can I - mama, what can I do?!" Rapunzel asked. Her mother held her shoulders tight and kissed her cheek. Her daughter was holding back. Her heart was breaking and she refused to cry; at least, she refused to do so in public.  
"Just...we'll just-"  
"Pray." Rapunzel gasped. "No one will listen to me. Everyone in this household is telling my children that their father is going to die! If they were going to hear it from someone, mama, it should have been me!" Her tone was frustrated and had gotten higher and louder as she went on. Her hands were up in her hair like she was ready to pull it out. No one believed her. No one. Everyone just whispered behind her back, caring nothing for Eugene, depressing and confusing her children - how could they? "How can they do that to my children?!" She gasped, sinking to her knees. The queen followed her down and pulled her close.  
"Is someone sitting with Eugene?"  
"One of the guards." Rapunzel mumbled off - handedly. She may know them all, but she hadn't paid attention. It was like she no longer cared. "I'm going in-"  
"No, you're not." The queen answered sternly. "You're going out for some air before you get sick again."  
"But mama, you said that once you've had scarlet fever-"  
"You're already sick with worry, Rapunzel! Cooping yourself up in one room so you can worry more is not going to help! Take some time for yourself. I'll go sit with Eugene."  
"But-"  
"Go." She ordered, pointing to the door. Rapunzel let out a tremendous sigh. Her shoulders slumped and her head bowed.  
"Alright, mama. Tell Eugene that I'll be back soon."  
"Of course, dear." He mother whispered, kissing her forehead. Rapunzel forced a smile and stepped out the door into the hall before her mother went into the couple's suite. The guard looked up idely at first and than sprang to his feet - which made the queen wonder if he would have stood out of respect when Rapunzel came into the room.

"Carsen, you can leave now. I'm sitting in here for a while." She sighed. Carsen bowed, sliding the chair forward for her. The queen realized that maybe he had misjudged the guard for not being at attention. He had a more concerned expression on his face than most of the guards she had stationed there. He could be another of Eugene's friends. Since he was captain of the guard they all knew him.  
"If there's anything I can do, your majesty." He muttered with his eyes down, twisting his gloves in his hands. "If there's anything that I can do, I...just say the word! He saved my family from freezing and starving last winter, your majesty. You can't repay-"  
"It's alright, Carsen." She smiled, laying her hands on his to stop the nervous twitching. "Thank you. You can go about your duties."  
"Yes, your majesty. Thank you." He whispered. "Bye, Eugene." He said, turning toward him. Eugene didn't raise a hand, but he smiled and nodded vaguely. The guard bit his lip and walked out quickly. Isabel sighed. And in her turn forced a relaxed smile.  
"Well, I'm guilty of making Rapunzel get some air, Eugene. She said to tell you that she would be back soon, though. I'm afraid that you're stuck with me for a while." Eugene smiled at that. She needed to get out, to get some air. That stuffy doctor would never let him open a window. "How are you holding up, dear?" The queen whispered as she sat down. Eugene sighed quietly. It was impossible for him to be more relaxed than he already was. He forced himself to smile and to not say the first frustrated thing that came into his head.  
"Alright, I guess." He rasped. His mother-in-law smiled back. Her face, though, was just one pained expression, and Eugene felt he knew why. How could anyone do this to her daughter? She put her hand on his chest to feel his breathing. She wasn't looking at his face anymore. She reminded him at the moment of the doctor who had just finally left him alone. Her eyebrows were creased like she was trying hard to remember something from a long time ago.  
"Dr. Fredrick just told me that -"  
"Yeah, apparently pneumonia on top of this." He answered. "I saw a lot of kids get that. It was winter then."  
"I don't see it, though." She muttered, still touching his chest. His breathing was weak to be sure, but every time her hand passed over or near his heart it just didn't correspond to what she thought it should be. It was - strong. So strong. "When you were taking care of the children in the orphanage years ago," she droned almost to herself though it was directed at Eugene, "the king's brother fell ill of the same thing while he was here. He contracted pneumonia a little later too." She whispered, feeling his neck and then his forehead. She settled back in her chair, shaking her head. She was confused.  
"How much later?" Eugene croaked. That wasn't worry in his voice. Eugene was still ridiculously stoic about the whole thing. It was plain curiosity.  
"The second week he had it." She whispered. She didn't look at him, it was like she couldn't look at him.  
"Well than, I'm good." Eugene quipped. Isabel turned her face up in surprise to look at her son-in-law. How exactly could he still be joking at the point where most people just get to be a nuisance? "Because I've had it for almost three weeks." He explained.  
"But, Eugene!" She started and then cut herself off. That was the worst thing she could tell him.  
"He died." He had said it anyway. Of all things, why? Why was he so very different? Was he just not afraid - a frontier that he had crossed once before and balanced over and with many times? Or was there something else? He vaguely cleared his throat and continued. "I know. I'm not dumb. And I remember hearing about it." His brow furrowed just a little bit as he remembered. "There were some people - a lot of people - who were glad. It was terrible."  
"It was." Isabel agreed. "Those people only knew him before. Jealous of Nicholas, greedy, loose around women, the whole lot. You probably knew or cared for one or two of his children. But that wasn't why he came back, Eugene. He was changed when he came back. I'll never know what he did or what he saw, but I know he was changed. It was in his eyes."  
"And me?" Eugene asked. His eyes were half closed now. As she looked at him he seemed to be just a child asking for a bedtime story. She smiled and smoothed his cheek like she would Matthew's or Estelle's.  
"I never saw you or knew you in the least before you brought my precious daughter back to me." She whispered. "But I saw how you looked at her and gazed into her eyes. I saw the look of fear on your face when my husband called the guards to take the horse, when you thought they were going for you, but you stood strong beside Rapunzel. There wasn't the slightest look of regret in your eyes. I knew you were the perfect man for my daughter before I even got to know my daughter. So it doesn't matter, Eugene, how much you changed. Deep, deep down that Eugene Fitzberbert was always there; alone and afraid. You'll never be alone again, Eugene." The queen wiped the tears out of her eyes with her free hand and kissed his forehead. He was her son now, almost just as much as Rapunzel was her daughter. Eugene moaned softly, trying to shift his position. Isabel realized he had fallen asleep. Good. That was good. Her brother-in-law hadn't been able to sleep after he took a turn for the worst. Eugene was just...entirely different. Maybe the doctor was wrong. Could he be wrong?

Rapunzel was nearly at her wit's end. Eugene had pneumonia. On top of scarlet fever. How did someone get two illnesses at once?! And now her mother had chased her away from Eugene. Fresh air? Who needed fresh air?! She couldn't think of anything but Eugene. She finally realized how he had felt for that one week when the rest of them had been ill. No wonder he hadn't gotten any sleep the entire time! Rapunzel sighed and leaned wearily against the wall, her forehead against her hand. What could she do? It was a common complication, so the doctor said. Well, according to the doctor, everything that Eugene was going through was typical. So why didn't he think Eugene could make it? Or was he just leaving out the fact that this complication is a common one leading to death? Seventeen days! It had been more than two weeks since Eugene had fallen from his horse. Dr. Fredrick's told her that he should have rounded the curb by now. He should have, but he hadn't. Oh, Eugene! The princess bit her lip, running her hand over her hair. It was a mess. She should redo it for her husband. She wanted to look nice. Suddenly she heard a tiny hiss, and a gasp, and she whipped around just in time to see Matthew covering Estelle's mouth with his hand, trying not to be seen. A second later the covert operation was exposed by a yowl from Matthew as his little sister bit his hand. Rapunzel raced forward to calm the spies, holding them each in an arm.  
"What are you two doing up here?" She whispered, leaning down and nibbling Estelle's ear with her lips.  
"Mite seeing dada." She said proudly.  
"No we weren't!" Matthew snapped.  
"Shush ut, Cap!" Estelle pronounced, jumping foreward and covering her brother's mouth quickly. Rapunzel grabbed her hand and pulled it from Matthew's mouth.  
"Hey! Hey! Enough!" She scolded quietly, letting her voice break in a chuckle. "Estelle, that's enough. Leave your brother alone! Now; Matthew, what are you two doing up here? You know you're not supposed to be here!"  
"She was showing me how to get up here."  
"But you-"  
"Mite's 'ecret ways, mama. Shhh. Secret to see dada." Estelle whispered with e devious giggle.  
"Excuse me, baby?" Rapunzel gasped in surprise. "You've been sneaking up to see dada?" Estelle grinned and nodded.  
"You sleep lots, mama." She said rather seriously.  
"And what about your father?"  
"Sometimes he sleepin'. Mama, why do you cry lots?"  
"Estelle...not - not now. Matthew, why were you finding a secret way to get up here?"  
"To go to the chapel." He muttered.  
"The chapel? Well, dear, since you aren't supposed to be up here you can ask Eugene or Leora to take you to the Cathedral."  
"They won't, mama."  
"Why?"  
"They said there are too many people."  
"Too many people." Rapunzel repeated. She doubted very much that it was the sheer number of people that deterred them - Corona barely merited a Cathedral of that size. Those two were old enough to be stopped, to be pointed out, and they were probably tired of hearing condolences about their father when he wasn't even dead. "Matthew, go get the others and bring them up to the chapel. Estelle and I will be waiting there for you."  
"Alright, mama. Mama?"  
"Yes?"  
"Can I take the secret way?"

me again. Sorry, this chapter was already set in stone when the last reviews were posted. Please stay tuned, though! I know I'm being cruel, but I'm trying to get done as fast as I can! Patience is a virtue...


	9. Chapter 9

"You're sure we won't get in trouble?" Leora asked nervously as Flynn closed the chapel door. "This is the third time we've bun up here, we're gonna get caught!"

"We'll be fine!" Flynn insisted in his grown-up voice. "Besides, they can't do anything to us."

"Bet?" Leora challenged. "You just think you're so smart because you're fourteen years old-"

"I'm almost fifteen!" He shouted back.

"Stop this at once!" Rapunzel demanded. "Eugene, stop being silly. You turned fourteen two months ago. Leora, stop being so nervous! The only ones that have authority to deal with your misdemeanors are myself and your grandparents. Everyone else answers to me!"

"But what about-" Leora started, but Estelle cut in, shaking her head vigorously and covering his ears.

"Nope, nope, nope. Nobody prayin' for dada but us ones, silly 'Ora. No one gonna know we up here. Mama?" She asked, turning her head and the subject. Rapunzel turned up to her just in time to see her flop backward over her brother's shoulders and slide down unharmed. Eugene gasped and freaked out, trying to reach her before she fell off, but she was fine. She ignored her poor brother's heart attack and pattered over to Rapunzel, grabbing her skirt and looking up. "Mite gonna see dada." Rapunzel sighed, leaning down to pick her up.

"No, Mite. Everything today has gone off schedule. It's so late, and-" Rapunzel stopped. What she could see of Mite's eyes through her untidied mop of hair were misting over. There is pouting, get-what-you-want crying, and then (rarely) the genuine item when it came to Estelle's crying. For once to was the genuine article. Rapunzel pulled her head down onto her shoulder and Mite started sobbing. The princess's eyes widened slightly in fear. If she saw Eugene so often as she claimed - did she know something that a two-year-old shouldn't have to deal with? Had - had Eugene told her something?

"Please, mama. Please." She sobbed while Rapunzel rubbed her back and stared away vacantly, thinking.

"Mite, stop it." Matthew demanded. "Come on, it's gonna be time for bed!"

"Time for bed?" Rapunzel asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Matthew, you would rather die than go to bed."

"No, mama, I umm -"

"Mite - Estelle is right. Your father didn't really get to see you today. Come on. If anyone will get in trouble it's me." Rapunzel led the way, looking right and left every time she came to a crossing hall or a stairway, but they eventually got to her room. Her mother was still there, and Eugene looked like he was sleeping. Rapunzel's breath caught in her throat. This is why she hated leaving Eugene. When she came back it always took her a moment to adjust to the fact that this was Eugene; haggard, emaciated, starting to look pale as the rash was starting to disappear. The rash was inconsequential, Fredrics said. It had little to do with the disease. He just looked so bad. Isabel looked up with some surprise as they all entered, Flynn was last in line, pushing Matthew through the door before he closed it. Eugene's eyes opened when he heard the click, and he smiled when he saw his family walking in. There he was. There was her Eugene. Mite squealed happily and twisted out of Rapunzel's grasp, racing up to her father's side and hugging his hand - which was the only thing that she could reach.

"Dada, dada, dada! Mite miss you!" She shouted with her eyes squeezed shut. Eugene chuckled and stroked her baby curls softly.

"Dada misses his Mite." Eugene answered with a weak smile. Rapunzel felt something go cold inside of her. This wasn't how she had left Eugene an hour ago. She suddenly felt faint and sat down quickly at the foot of the bed. This was wrong, all wrong - maybe she was imaging that he seemed completely drained of life all of a sudden? She noticed he was laying half on his side to help alleviate some of his bed soars. Rapunzel hadn't even brought herself to look at them in days. She just couldn't do it without crying. She left that part of his care to the maids and doctor who didn't seem to mind causing him extra pain. "Hi, Cap!" Eugene whispered brightly with his voice cracking. Matthew looked up in shock and stayed standing where he was. Rapunzel saw the look on his face and bit her lip as she turned to Eugene. His face didn't match his cheery greeting any more. In fact, it looked almost as he he were about to cry with the five-year-old staring at him like he didn't know him.

"Matthew." Rapunzel chided, facing him and giving him a look that Eugene couldn't see from his angle. He was getting a talking to later, and he knew it. Flynn and Leora were standing behind him and forced him to walk forward with them.

"Daddy!" Leora gasped, falling forward to wrap her arms around his neck. Eugene couldn't return the embrace. Mite still had his right hand engaged, and even if she hadn't his arms didn't have the strength. She was trembling, having a hard time holding her tears back. The maids and servants had told her - oh, how many times! - that her father was dying. They had asked her what she would wear to the funeral, what she wanted done with her hair, would she and her mother be singing - all things of no importance! And why? It was such a cruel, hard question! She didn't want to say good-bye to her father! Why did everyone else just seem so eager to do so?

"How's my little Light?" He whispered, able just to touch her bright golden hair. Rapunzel looked at them. Her hair was just the right color. Just to sing the song once - just to see! Eugene caught her eyes and may as well have been speaking out loud with how his eyes burned back into hers. No. Don't you ever let anyone do that to my little girl. Ever.

"I miss having you around, daddy. Can you get better soon? Please?" She gasped against his shoulder. This wasn't right. He should be sitting up. He should be hugging her, stroking her hair, telling them all a bedtime story. She didn't even expect a reply.

"Doing my best, honey." He whispered. But his eyes looked over her shoulder at Matthew. Rapunzel rubbed her face into her should before setting her hand on his back and pushing him forward before he could refuse. Leora backed off so she couldn't be accused of hogging Eugene. "It's still me, Cap." Eugene whispered. His breath was short and labored. Rapunzel knew that she saw a tear in his eye. "Can't you come here, buddy? Just beside Mite?" He begged. Flynn walked up beside him and held his hand. Nicholas came up on the other side, just as fidgety as ever.

"Come on, Cap." Flynn coaxed. Matthew looked up and shook his head. Flynn dropped down to his knees, holding his little brother's shoulders. "Dad's sick." He whispered. "He's really sick - but there's only one way he's gonna get better." Matthew sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"How?" He whined, snuffling again. Flynn grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his brother's nose, causing Rapunzel to jump and glance at Eugene while she pointed at their son. Since when had Flynn actually started carrying his pocket handkerchiefs? Eugene shrugged - well, she could tell that he had meant to shrug. Responsibility happened at odd times.

"Because he needs us." Flynn said reasonably. "Cap, he needs to know that you love him, just like when you were sick and he rocked you and Mite so you would feel better. Just give him a hug." He smiled. "I know he doesn't look the same, that's why he has to know you still love him, okay?"

"Okay." Matthew gasped. He looked over Flynn's shoulder, squared his little ones and ran forward into Eugene's limp arms before he could lose courage. He buried his face in that heaving, hot chest and cried. Eugene laid his head on Matthews with tears still in his eyes. "Daddy, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He sobbed. Eugene kissed his thick mat of hair, swaying back and forth the tiniest little bit.

"It's okay, Cap. It's okay." He whispered. Rapunzel almost covered her face with her hands and started bawling. He barely even sounded like her husband anymore. He was so weak, so tortured...the thought kept biting at her that she should stop this foolish hoping. She should let I'm die - NO! Never! He may not be strong, but he could find the strength, somewhere deep within him. For Leora, for Matthew - for all of them! Perhaps especially for her. She wasn't sure if she could live without him for very long.

"It's late." Rapunzel said at last. "We should go."

"No! Story first! Dada tell story!" Estelle insisted. Eugene sighed in defeat and looked to Rapunzel, who rolled her eyes and leaned her head back.

"Alright, story." Rapunzel conceded, grabbing the nearest book. "But mama has to tell it." She amended, sitting down in the bed next to Eugene while the rest of the children - even Flynn - crowded around to see the story. Rapunzel's hand was somehow found by Eugene, and their fingers meshed together as she began. "Once upon a time, far, far away, there lived a good king and queen..."

Rapunzel sat near his head stroking his hair she watched his face, feeling his shallow breathing. He was not getting any better. He was so haggard, his face so thin and drawn. The court physician gave her no hope. He had seen many cases of the fever and he had lost younger men to less severe cases. Eugene moaned in his sleep and moved a little to the left. Rapunzel bit her lip. He was trying to roll over but didn't have the strength to do it. She crawled into the bed beside him, not bothering to pull the covers around her because even though Eugene was shivering the bed was a veritable furnace. She wrapped her arms under and around him, willing the sickness to leave his body even though she knew that would do no good. The wild thought to bring Leora in to see if she could heal her father kept running through Rapunzel's mind. But no. She could not turn her daughter into an object like she had been. Besides, even if it was for this one time only Eugene would not approve. Eugene. So much had happened. Eugene let out a rasping cough and Rapunzel leapt up immediately , feeling his throat and making sure that he could still breath. He had been so tired, but he hadn't quit smiling even when he fell asleep. But he was getting worse. That swelling in his throat made it close to impossible for him to breath, added to the pneumonia attacking and weakening his lungs. Tears flowed out of her eyes as she looked at his face again. The doctor had warned her that sometimes the disease attacked the heart or other organs and weakened them. Even if they did get over the fever, that had killed people. Did it ever end? Her hands caressed his face, her fingers following the curve of his brow down his cheek to his chin. They had grown so much together. They were both older, faint lines of aging gently showing in both of their faces, betraying joys and sorrows past. He hadn't seemed to grow older. He was her strength and the joy of her life, their love extended through their children. He just grew more beautiful as time went on. Could she bear to lose him? She counted the days; not completely on purpose, it just happened. When he was away she counted the days until his return but it was so much different, so much worse when he was still there - at least physically. Rapunzel had slept through half of the day so she would actually stay up most of the night, allowing herself to doze off now and then. There was only one candle burning, but Rapunzel didn't need anymore light. As much as she could let Eugene rest she did, waiting and hoping. He had barely said anything the whole day, struggling for breath through half of it until she sat him up - propped up by pillows. He hadn't moved since she was in the room last and for a moment she felt a wave of fear - fear that the physician ... in everything he kept implying... he couldn't be right. Eugene was still young, he had five children to guide to adulthood. He couldn't die. He just couldn't. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked at him. She took his hand in hers and held it on her face. He couldn't lift his hand that high anymore, hadn't been able to for days. But still she couldn't give up hope. There was something wrong in giving up hope this time. Eugene would fight to the end and she knew it. He moaned her name quietly.

"Yes, love?" she whispered. Eugene didn't acknowledge her. he moaned her name again, this time almost urgently. She sat up quickly, looking into his face to see his eyes wild, looking straight through her. He didn't even notice her hand in his.

"Eugene! Eugene, I'm right here!" She gasped, turning his face toward her with her free hand. "Look at me! Look at me, I'm right here!" She almost screamed. Rapunzel heard sounds outside, like someone running, but if they entered she didn't know. He kept calling her name like he couldn't find her, gazing around, trying to get up. Rapunzel kept him down with a gentle hand on his chest, though really it wasn't needed. His efforts to rise were futile. His voice told her that he thought she was in danger. He was desperate, trying to battle some phantom image that had her. "Its alright, Eugene. I'm alright." she insisted with tears streaming down her cheeks. His eyes finally fixed on her, but they weren't seeing who was there. They were wide and wild with fear. Rapunzel moved her hand from his chest to his face, closing his eyes. "Shhh. It's alright, babe. It's alright." She insisted in a broken whisper, pushing his head back into his pillow, feeling his chest as he started breathing more slowly and finally passed into a fitful sleep, mumbling her name through his cracked lips. Rapunzel let out a horrible sob, sliding to the floor and curling into a ball, still desperately clasping his hand, her loose dark hair almost covering her as she sobbed her heart out. He didn't know her.


	10. Chapter 10

"Come, Rapunzel. I'll leave one of the guards is here to sit with Eugene. He's sleeping right now anyway." Rapunzel's mother insisted, trying to drag her daughter off to a meeting.

"But mama, I don't want to leave him!" Rapunzel yawned with tears springing out of the corners of her eyes. She was just so tired.

"I know, Rapunzel. But you also have to get out of this room for a few moments in a day. You haven't seen your children, you won't let them visit-"

"They can't!" The princess almost shouted. "Mama, I don't want them to see him like this."

"I understand, darling. But you need to get some air yourself, alright?"

"Air? In a stuffy conference room? Mama, am I really needed?"

"The windows will be open. There are several...ummm, well important men, quote end quote."

"So they find themselves important."

"Exactly." her mother smiled before dropping a depressed sigh. "But their business must be discussed. I will be perfectly honest, Rapunzel. I have fallen asleep in these meetings and none of the countries have been any the worse for it, so if you can not keep your eyes open, don't worry yourself about it."

"Alright. Thank you, mama. So it is not an important meeting?"

"Well, to tell the truth, they were hoping to meet with Eugene, and I'm a little distressed that they cannot for that reason among others. He is the best delegate that we have ever had!"

"How is it I've never been told about that?" Rapunzel asked, hurt that Eugene hadn't mentioned that to her. Why was she hurt about something trivial like that? Eugene was supposedly dying!

"Well, he doesn't know it either." The queen replied. "We wouldn't want him to go around smoldering everyone to get his way, would we?" She wasn't facing Rapunzel, but the princess could tell by the voice inflection that her mother was smiling; and probably envisioning the same thing as she was at the moment.

"Well, it would make the meetings more interesting." Rapunzel smirked.

"I will not argue that point." The queen answered, turning to her daughter with a bright smile. She put her hands on the doors and opened them, seemingly without ceremony, but Rapunzel could not see herself as she and the queen glided into the room. The delegates stood. Rapunzel recognized some of them: a greasy little man with a ridiculous black forest covering his face; Thomas, a pale, straight nosed dignitary with a thin mustache and a very pointed beard; and a thick, old, crass "gentleman" from the far islands - she had seen them before. The others she did not know. These were the dignitaries. Her father smiled formally when they entered.

"So, everyone is here. Let us begin."

It had been hours. Rapunzel was absolutely certain of that, and she still had no idea what was going on. She wondered how long it had taken these men to learn such fiddle-fadle for discussing simple business. It may have helped if she had been able to pay attention, but when she wasn't dozing off the only thing that could hold her attention was her husband.

"'Does the princess have anything to say?" Thomas drawled, leaning back in his chair like he was about to put his feet on the table. Rapunzel startled. She have anything to say? About what?

"I'm sorry, but no." Rapunzel answered, assuming that it was a safe enough reply.

"And why not?" Black beard inquired, rising up in his chair so he would look a little taller.

"Forgive me, but I really don't know much about politics." She answered.

"Ah! Then where is your husband? Lying about somewhere avoiding this meeting? If we are to bandy words-"

"That's enough!" King Nicholas roared in a quiet thunder. But the damage was done. First Rapunzel's face had gone from confused to expressionless and then her chest started heaving as she tried to keep her emotions under control. It was not fitting for a royal to explode during diplomacy. That was one thing that Rapunzel remembered. Her hand had gone to her stomach to feel for some comfort - why?! She knew there was no child waiting there! Why had she done that to herself? A sob finally burst out of her throat and she hid her face in her arms. The room was silent for a few moments, save for the weeping of the princess.

"You will understand," Rapunzel heard her father say slowly through clenched teeth, "That at this moment my daughter's husband is seriously ill, gentlemen. So I will hear no more complaints of his absence."

"Some of us have heard, your majesty. I am very sorry. He is a good man." An anonymous voice spoke up in understanding.

"I heard that he was delirious, so no prospects of asking him for an opinion." Someone else said carelessly. Rapunzel sobbed louder suddenly and heard someone hiss,

"She's not deaf, you know!"

"This is too much!" Isabell cried, rising from her chair. "Here you are, supposed gentlemen, shamelessly tearing my daughter's heart to pieces!"

"Madam, we are not here to discuss your daughter's heart!"

"Sir, you will address the queen in a fitting manner." Growled the king.

"You know of how ill Eugene is, sirs." The queen continued in a soft voice. It was almost like she was trying to avoid being heard by her daughter. "That has taken such a toll on the princess. But please. If you can understand this, they just lost a child as well. She has so much taxing her heart right now, can you not leave her alone?" As suddenly as that the room exploded, conversations, remarks, everything thrown everywhere. "What is that matter to us?" Here, "Here, no! Let us back to our discussions!" There, "Poor lass!"

"We'll, what are we to do? There have been so many alliances cast to the wind for various reasons! Your princess would have married our prince, majesties, had she not been taken. Now instead she is married to a man found to be the sole survivor of a kingdom that was destroyed by its own people in his absence!"

"The absence was no fault of his. He was a child! And what is he to you? Your country has possession of those lands and he has never challenged your possession of them!"

"What has that to do with anything? What are we here to discuss?" Another bellowed.

"Well, certainly not the feelings of Corona's princessa." Someone else muttered. Rapunzel felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her mother.

"Come along. Lets get you out of here before they start aiming things at you worse. Out of sight, out of mind. Then perhaps they will settle down to business." She whispered in her daughter's ear. Rapunzel nodded and tried to get up without being noticed. Isabell was guiding her to the door - of course the room had only one door - trying to shield her from the conversation, but a voice rose high above everyone's.

"Well perhaps if she is so distraught as that, she should have another child!" The thick diplomat shouted as if we're carousing in an ale house. Everyone else suddenly fell to silence and Rapunzel froze where she was. Her mother could not budge her. Rapunzel's father cleared his throat, his face betraying that there was a rage ready to break free.

"There is nothing she would like more, sir, but Eugene is still very ill..." Her father intervened, trying to salvage the situation. He saw Rapunzel and he saw the rage building in her eyes as well. Isabell clenched her jaw tightly, and Deligate Thomas shrugged.

"But he is still living, if barely. With five living children, your majesties, I am sure she knows the way of things. It would be simple enough, no? For her to-" he was stopped in an abrupt though not entirely untimely manner as Rapunzel's hand struck twice firmly across his face. The diplomat sat there, shocked; his jaw hanging slack to his ruffled waistcoat.

"You horrible, horrible wretch!" Rapunzel scolded. "Do you know nothing of the way of things? Do you know what a horrible thing you are suggesting of me? That I use my own husband?"

"Princess, I merely thought -"

"Of the materiel. Is that all that you and your fellow countrymen consider?" Rapunzel shouted, trembling with rage and indignation. Her cheeks were redder than Eugene's had ever been. "You! You call yourselves gentlemen!" She continued, looking up around the table to every face. "All of you! What is so gentle in your manner? You curse like any other man on the street whom you would call coarse. You think that my husband is beneath you because he walks among real people, beause he helps real people. Because he wasn't raised with silk sheets and rose water. No doubt you think the same of me - and I am nothing if not dull compared to him. You pretend to govern countries when you cannot govern yourselves!" Everyone was silent, staring at the suddenly outspoken princess, not knowing what to reply.

"Rapunzel." Her mother whispered.

"Yes, mama. I'm finished with these...gentlemen." She gasped. Isabell was silent when they stepped out of the doors. "I'm sorry about that, mama." Rapunzel whispered.

"Sorry?" Her mother asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for what so ever! To think, they requested that you be present. Well, I dare say they won't ask for that any time soon!"

"Good." The princess replied, still not raising her voice. "They wouldn't be seeing me anyway. I want to go back to Eugene."

"Yes, dear. Go on. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that."

"Well, mama, now I see better where the world is dark and cruel. Those who find themselves above everyone else? I pray my children will never be like that." Rapunzel let herself into the antechamber of her suite with her mother close. She touched the handles to her bedroom door. She could hear Eugene moaning and raving. Tears flooded her eyes. Who or what was he fighting now? The queen hung back as she Rapunzel opened the door.

"Mom!" He moaned, twisting slightly. The princess knew he wasn't calling for her. He was reliving that night some thirty-odd years ago when his family was slaughtered around him. Eugene was fighting that battle again, warning his mother as something came crashing toward her, something he couldn't stop. Rapunzel raced to his side, dismissing the guard with a wave of her hand. "No." He gasped, his hands working weakly at his sides. "No." Tears crept from his closed eyes. Some things he had told Rapunzel from that night, had told her mother and father - which is how they realized who he really was. Other horrors that his young mind had buried beyond his memory came out in the darkness, in these fevered nightmares. She grabbed his hand and leaned toward his face, kissing his sweaty forehead while she brushed his face with her other hand.

"It's alright Eugene, I'm here." Rapunzel whispered tenderly. "I'm here, love."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

He was taking simply forever and Rapunzel didn't like it. She didn't like him, either. Dr. Fredrics. She was sitting, waiting beside the window, taking in the sunlight and making that be sufficient when she wasn't allowed to let any air in. The way he had taken his jacket off and laid it aside had reminded her eerily of when he came in to preform a surgery. She shuddered at the thought of it. Of course with Eugene it happened more often than she cared to recall. the wort had been a hunting accident a few yesrs before. It had been a nightmare then, seeing Eugene's leg split open and not being allowed near him, seeing the doctor stall when he should have been sewing it up because theremay have been an arrowhead inside. There hadn't been. As if Eugene wouldn't have noticed something like that! As a result of that he had lost a ridiculous amount of blood before the wound was finally closed up and spent longer recovering because of infection. If that horrible little know-it-all had had his way Eugene would have completely lost his leg since Fredric's had wanted to cut it off instead of sewing it up. Rapunzel didn't know what kind of men he must have been used to, but they were nothing like her husband, whoever they were. Dr. Fredric's finally stepped off to the side and washed his hands before approaching her. Rapunzel slid from the window seat, crossing her arms and holding her chin high. The doctor knew that look well, though he rarely saw it on the princess. He sighed and shook his head.

"I've given him a sedative so perhaps he will rest better." He told her, crossing his own arms. Rapunzel nodded, but she wasn't satisfied. She knew that there had to be something else coming at her.

"And will it help?" Rapunzel asked stiffly.

"I- can not say." He answered, blowing his cheeks out. He looked nervous. "Princess."

"What?"

"It would be best for you to - prepare yourself." Rapunzel looked up at the balding little man with disdain.

"What are you saying?" She demanded before she could stop herself.

"Princess he can not hold on for much longer." The physician admitted, trying to sound as if he were completely within reason. "I can do only so much, Princess. There are funeral arrangements to be made, and for you to be prepared for such-"

"No. No, I will not! I will do no such thing!" She cried out. Hang dignified formality, this is Eugene he was talking about. She remembered what she had told her father, but when it came to it...when Dr. Fredrics actually told her that there was hope...it couldn't be. Never. Her face was blank, staring at the ground, trying to see past all of this. Rapunzel had expected to hear him say that. Those words that sounded like a curse. She knew they were coming since in the last week Eugene had only gotten worse. She felt as if the little man had whaled her chest with a frying pan.

"Princess, he has fought longer then most, but I fear your husband's strength is giving out. He can not last for much longer." Rapunzel was about to shout something put, but instead she closed her mouth tightly and shut her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. Eugene would come out of this, he would come back. He had to.

"He will." She answered, his voice trembling in a quiet rage of emotions. "Just wait and see."

There was another day come and gone, too fast and too slow. Watching her husband struggle for every breath was one of the worst things that she had gone through. If one of the children had been this ill she wouldn't have known what to do. She couldn't live without him. She knew that she couldn't.

"Rapunzel, stay - stay away from..."

"Eugene! Shhhhh. Shhhhhh. It's alright, it's alright." Rapunzel rushed to his side. "I'm right here." She gasped, her voice weary with sorrow. "Baby, there's nothing wrong."

"R-punzel!" he groaned.

"Mama?" Rapunzel heard a small voice behind her and turned sharply to see Matthew standing behind her, his nightgown half tucked into his breeches and his little face was screwed up with scared tears.

"Cap!" Rapunzel gasped, falling back to the familiar nickname. "What are you doing up here?!"

"Mama, I wanted to see daddy."

"Cap, you can't be in here!" She answered stepping away from Eugene and turning her son toward the door. She felt tears coming on and she didn't want Matthew seeing that either.

"Mama, what's wrong with dad?" He sobbed, disobediently turning and seeing Eugene's wild stare.

"Baby, you know that he's sick-"

"Mama, he's not saying my name."

"It's alright, Cap, he didn't see -"

"Mama, daddy's looking right at me!" He shrieked.

"Matthew, quiet!"

"He always says my name!"

"Matthew!"

"Mama, he didn't see me!" He screamed. His eyes were scared and confused. Rapunzel wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head into her chest as he kept crying.

"Shhh. Shhhh, Matthew, it's going to be alright. It's gonna be alright." She cried, kissing his head and holding him even closer. Eugene was groaning something again, and for the first time Rapunzel felt a twinge of annoyance at him for his delirium. He couldn't do anything about it, it wasn't as if he had chosen this, but in that moment she couldn't help it. Her baby boy was hurting and scared and sad - all because of Eugene! Then came the guilt in a fierce stab. How? How could she ever think of Eugene that way? Maybe if he had been neglecting his own children by going to the orphanage, but he hadn't been. A familiar hard lump came up in her throat and she started weeping with her five-year-old. He was far too young to lose his father! Just because neither her nor Eugene had grown up with a normal family didn't mean that their children didn't deserve to! Oh, she could just die of the pain. Would she? Would she just pine away, whither and die without him? Would she be stronger than that? She had the strange impression that Eugene did believe she was stronger then that, that she would all be alright, but Rapunzel didn't ever want to find out. Matthew's sobs kept on in a steady flow and Rapunzel felt her dress getting soaked. She didn't care. she kissed his hair again. "It's gonna be alright, baby." She crooned softly. Finally Matthew's sobbing died down to little hiccuping breaths that turned into snores. Rapunzel kissed his head and stood up slowly, walking to the living room.

"Conli?"

"Your highness?"

"Conli, could you put Matthew back for bed for me?"

"Yes, mam." He answered quickly, laying his spear aside and putting his arms out for the little boy. "But how - I didn't see him go in."

"No." Rapunzel sighed. "I think I have Estelle to thank for that. Just get him to bed, he'll be alright." She sighed, brushing Matthew's soft tousled hair. Conli nodded, adjusting the little boy in his arms and sneaking out down the hall. Rapunzel let out a moan when he was far enough away that he wouldn't hear her. She hoped that Matthew wouldn't remember that night, or that he would think that it was just a nightmare. "Oh Eugene!" She gasped, running a hand through his hair. "Eugene, I need you. Just come back. Come back to me."

The church was dark, reflecting the mood that everyone felt. Rapunzel was holding her youngest daughter close. She didn't want her running around and she didn't want to let her go.

"Mite wanna see dada." She hissed in a baby whisper.

"You can't, Estelle." She whispered back, tears burning in her eyes.

"Yup. Dada's sleeping in church."

"No, baby. No he isn't." Rapunzel sobbed softly. "Baby, daddy's not there. You can't see daddy any more. Sweetie, he's gone."

"But mama-" she insisted, pointing to the open casket.

"No!" Rapunzel heard herself insist harshly to the two year old. This was too much. She couldn't take it. Why hadn't her mother insisted on keeping the children with her today so she could grieve alone? "That's just - it used to be - once." She whispered, her eyes downcast as so many memories flooded into her head. So many many...just memories now. They were all that was left...

Rapunzel heard her own screaming sobs and woke herself up. It was dark everywhere, the candle had gone out and her face was wet. She must really have been screaming. She slipped off of the chair, basically falling onto the bed as she clambered to get to Eugene. He moaned quietly when she came close to him because she was shaking the bed back and forth as she went. Rapunzel didn't care. If he moaned, he was alive. If she woke him up and listened to his delirious ravings for the next five hours, she didn't care. He was alive, he was still alive, and he was hers. She was sobbing again by the time she came to him and scooped him up onto her lap. Eugene moaned again, gasping half of her name as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the doors fly open and her mother race into the room.

"It's alright, mama. We're alright." She gasped. Her hands were clasping and unclasping in his hair, her face resting on his forehead. She was just looking forward, staring at nothing while Eugene moaned in her arms with his brow creased deeply. The queen sighed, sitting beside Rapunzel. As she touched her shoulder she wondered if her daughter would have preferred to be left alone for the moment. Rapunzel still didn't look at her. "It was just a dream." She whispered, more like she was reassuring herself than talking to her mother.

"Of what?" Her mother inquired softly as she moved her hand along her daughter's back as if she were still just a child. How bad could it really be?

"Eugene...of..of no Eugene. I was in the church." She whispered. Her mother could hear that her lip was trembling in the dark. "Oh mama! Eugene was gone!" Rapunzel wailed quietly. "Estelle just wanted to see her dada and she couldn't. She thought he was sleeping! Mama, she thought he was just sleeping! Its killing me, mama! He was gone. Mama, he was gone!" She sobbed. "I can't bring him back now."

"Rapunzel -"

"Maybe - maybe if Leora could," she continued, not pausing to hear what the uneven had to say. She wondered if Rapunzel was even listening to her. "but I can't do that to her. I don't want to use her, and Eugene would rather die than see that happen to her."

"See what-"

"I don't want him to die, mama. He can't! I-I can't watch him die again." Rapunzel sobbed. Her face turned down to Eugene, who she could barely see in the dark. "Mama, I want to see his eyes bright again - feel his breath on my neck, feel his arms around me to tell me everything's going to be alright even when it can never be the same. Mama, I want him so bad!" She blurted, her sentences all running together before her sobs took over once again. "And...and in the dream, I even shouted at Estelle, mama. I shouted at a two-year old because she wanted to see her daddy. I can't do this. Mama, he has to be alright...tell me he'll be alright!" The words left her lips almost as screams before she cut herself off, her sobs redoubling as she buried her face in his chest. The queen looked on, tears streaming down her face for both their sakes as she stroked her daughter's head and heaving shoulders comfortingly. She didn't tell Rapunzel that everything was going to be alright.

Queen Isabell crept into her daughter's suite early in the morning. Rapunzel had dozed off again. Very well, she was used to that. Any move that Eugene made woke her immediately anyway. She opened the drape just a little to let the light in and looked back at the couple. Eugene looked terrible. His skin just looked - thin. It made the queen shudder when she stepped closer. Even through the thick matte of hair that half covered his face she could see that he had worn himself out in the delirium. His was emaciated, his once thickly muscular arms had lost their bulk. He looked...looked-

"Mama?" Rapunzel yawned. "Mama, what are you doing in here?"

"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered, stroking her mussed up hair.

"It's alright, Mama." She sighed wearily with her head still laying on the bed. Suddenly her eyes flashed open and she sat bolt upright, looking immediately for Eugene. He was still there. Rapunzel relaxed only a little after that, covering her face with her hands and leaning on her elbows.

"Has it been a long night? I mean, besides - you know." The queen asked patiently.

"Oh, mama! It was terrible." Rapunzel sobbed quietly. "Mama, Matthew came up here!"

"We'll, what of-"

"And Eugene was awake. He saw Matthew, and he didn't know him either!" Her voice was airy with emotion and she kept wringing her hands together. The queen's eyes widened.

"Is Matthew alright?"

"I - I think so. I guess I'm not sure. He fell asleep and I just put him to bed."

"Poor little dear." She whispered. "And then your - dream?"

"Yes. I...would rather not remember that." she whispered, though now that she had remembered it she couldn't make herself forget it. "Mama, could you watch the children today?" Rapunzel asked, not even looking up. She was staring at Eugene in the faint light that was creeping in through the open drape. Then suddenly her voice took on a note of vehemence. "I don't want the maids or anybody anywhere near my children today."

"Yes, Rapunzel. I'll keep an eye on them for you." Isabell whispered. "Rapunzel." The princess waited, but her mother didn't say anything. When she looked up she saw her head down and her hand to her forehead.

"What, mama?"

"I think I should call in Doctor Fredrics."

"Mama!" Rapunzel moaned. She didn't want him there. She didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"Dear, please?"

"It's not as if he can do anything." She grumbled, reaching forward at the same time to put a calming hand on her husband's chest when his lips started moving. "But if you wish, than send for him."


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you know if the Last Rights have been administ-"

"While he was still conscious, yes. I'm not an idiot." Rapunzel snapped before anyone else could answer. Dr. Fredrics jumped, which served him right in her opinion. He scared her all the time, wasn't it her turn now? No one had seen her come in - her mother must have been too tall for him to see over her head. She knew that her father certainly was.

"Rapunzel..." Her father started. He was either dragging out whatever he was going to say or he was leaving it hanging, Rapunzel couldn't tell which; but she saw that there were tears in his eyes. Even her father had tears in his eyes.

"No!" She barked, tears ready to spill out of her own eyes when she thought that she had already shed them all.

"Princess. You must face the facts." Fredrics reasoned, frustrated and frustrating.

"What facts?!" Rapunzel practically screamed at him. She hadn't been gone for twenty minutes, only leaving to freshen up - well, actually to avoid Dr. Fredrics, but she wouldn't admit that.

"Darling, he's barely breathing." He mother answered. Her voice was just a windy whisper, she thought it might be better coming from her rather than from Fredrics.

"Once he wasn't even doing that." Rapunzel insisted. Her father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Dear, that was a miracle. You can't expect-"

"Yes I can!" She shouted back at her father without realizing how high her voice had gotten. Breathing hard, she stepped away from them and looked them all up and down. She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't. Somewhere deep in her heart there was hope. Irrational, of course, but hope just the same. Was that not the best kind of hope? He could still pull through. He could. "Mama!" She sobbed, searching for some sort of hope or affirmation in her mother's face. But like the night before, she gave her none.

"I will come in again after a few hours, your highnesses." Fredrics whispered, starting slowly to leave the room. Her mother and father nodded solemnly. No one would side with her. Eugene lay in the room behind them, so close to her and this time she couldn't rely on his help. This time it was her alone fighting for him. In the tower she could see his eyes, she could hear his voice even when he told her not to save him. She had had her hair, and Pascal. She didn't even have Pascal anymore, the dear little friend. She wasn't about to torment her children by dragging them into this. "He's not going to die, mama. He just can't!" Rapunzel whispered and her voice trembled. Isabell didn't reply. She bit her lip and looked at the floor, backing away just slightly. "Papa?" She gasped. Her father met her eyes for just a moment, but his face just registered pain. Pain for his daughter and her children, for himself and for his queen, for the heart of his kingdom. Rapunzel suddenly felt a deep pang in her heart for her father and what he was facing. The entire fate of his kingdom, even though she was still there, loomed uncertainly before him - more uncertain than when Corona's princess was lost for eighteen years. She shared her father's fears - would she be a fit ruler with her husband torn away from her? But how would despairing amend the situation? How could they live without hope?

"Very well, then." She whispered. "Abandon him. But I won't." She promised, shaking her head. Rapunzel pushed her way past them into her room, shutting the doors finally behind her and leaning against them wearily. She closed her eyes, letting the tears spill out and stream down her cheeks. Why Eugene? Of all people, why him? Was it to test him? Was it to test her? The princess made her way slowly to the bed where Eugene was lying very still. His breath was very short and shallow - it sounded almost forced. He was still trying. He was still fighting desperately. Rapunzel crawled onto their bed, laying down at his head and gazing at his face. His whiskers were thicker than she had ever seen them and they covered the entire bottom half of his face. It looked so odd. But they also partially covered how thin and sallow his cheeks were, how sharply his cheek bones rose under his skin. Rapunzel leaned forward and placed a kiss on them. He stirred very slightly when she did so, and the princess was sure that she had seen the slightest smile on his lips.

"I'm still here, Eugene." She whispered.

"No change." Fredrics whispered, apparently trying to keep it away from Rapunzel. She hadn't heard him, but he had left the door open and she could see them. Since he had left the room quickly, she had a pretty good idea of what was going on and crossed the distance without being seen. It was already late afternoon, going into evening. Rapunzel saw her mother wringing her hands and biting her lips together. She must have Flynn watching his siblings. As long as he kept an eye on the two youngest she had nothing to worry about. Those two were trouble! And if their father - if Eugene did...her dead father was the last thing that Rapunzel wanted Estelle to happen in upon.

"I no longer know what to say, your majesties." She heard him explain as she came closer. "Eugene can perhaps hold on for another night, but I think that he will not."

"You mean that..." the queen started but she was unable to finish her question. She had heard it that morning, and had expected it for longer, but when it came to saying good bye to her son-in-law, when it came to seeing her daughter torn to shreds and her grandchildren fatherless...how could they get through it. How?

Rapunzel stayed behind the door. She couldn't force herself to join them. She just listened to what they did not dare tell her. Things that they knew that she wouldn't listen to.

"I can not lie." He said softly, shaking his head. "There is no hope, majesties. The fever has not broken in nearly four weeks. His strength has been taxed to its limit. Even with a strong will to live, I fear He can not last. I believe too, that his heart has been damaged by the disease. Even if he could survive..."

"Oh, my dear Eugene! My poor baby Rapunzel!" The queen whispered. Rapunzel could tell that she had a hand at her chest and the other hand gone to cover her mouth when she heard a single sob. The princess did not blame her mother. Eugene had become her son, even before he had married Rapunzel. She rarely thought of how much others had come to love and respect him, even before his lineage was known, even when he was merely an orphaned nobody. It was not only she who would take a great wound at his parting. No! How could she think like that?! She admonished herself be striking her fist against the wall and suddenly the conversation on the other side, which she had not heard any more of, stopped. She stood still, breathing hard and trembling as her father came to the other side of the door.

"Rapunzel?" he whispered.

"Yes, papa?"

"Did you...were you listening to us?"

"Only for a little, papa." she whispered. The king didn't know what part of the conversation she had heard, the devastating prognosis or, almost worse, the inevitable funeral arrangements that he and her mother were discussing. Queen Isabell came around the corner and touched her daughter's hand gently. It was done. Over.

"I am sorry, dear." Her mother gasped. Rapunzel's arms dropped down and her face studied the floor. She understood why they must talk as they were but - how could they?! On the edge of her thoughts she saw that terrible nightmare; a fine black coffin, surrounded by a guard, his friends. Estelle trying to break from her hold to se him. To see Eugene, Eugene who wouldn't be there anymore. Only his wasted body. She shook her head to drive those thoughts away. No. No, please, God! Please, it just can't happen like that! Just-just a tiny last bit of the sun. Oh God, how can I live without him!

"Where are my children?" She whispered. It was a quiet whisper. Quiet, her mother thought, with despair and defeat.

"I brought them into their rooms, dear. They're waiting." It was all Rapunzel could do to keep herself from screaming in anguish. They had brought the children to say good-bye to their father. Well that was not what Rapunzel had in mind. Without another word she stormed out, down the hall to the room where her children were sitting silently - and dressed in black. She stifled a sob when she saw them and they came running to her.

"See dada !" Estelle demanded of her mother. The oldest two looked on with downcast faces, because they weren't foolish. They knew what was happening when their grandmother had designated black garb that morning. Rapunzel shushed her.

"Quiet, darling. Daddy needs to sleep." She chided. She looked up at the rest of them who were old enough to understand what was happening. Flynn looked down at his hands and back up at her. Leora just stood there, staring forward. She was concentrating on not crying and it looked to Rapunzel like that's what she had been doing the whole day. "Let's go to the chapel." She suggested. Leora glanced at her big brother, who nodded. Their mother was trying to keep things normal for them, but they knew that there was something different. Eugene caught his mother's eye, just the look on his face asking her the dreaded question. Rapunzel's face softened just a little bit and she shook her head, moving her mouth to say, "No." She wasn't going to say 'not yet'. She hoped - she was praying - that it wouldn't happen. They followed their mother to the chapel, a sweet train of youngsters and a whispering toddler in her arms. She could not lose the love of her life, she couldn't take so many losses in her life. Not now. They filed in through the doors behind her. Leora had her mother's eye and was always excited to see what different way the sun came in through the medieval stained glass no matter what pained her heart. Colored lights of reds and blues, purples, greens and gold rippled through the air, painting the floors and cushions and chairs. Rapunzel touched one of the windows, one that her and Eugene's had often sat next to; praying for their unborn children, all of them, and grieving the two that had been lost to them. She clutched the little one's hand a bit tighter for a moment and knelt down. The window was the Nativity, Christmas; a special holiday for both of them since neither had true Christmases growing up. The youngest two plopped down on the floor together; pointing and talking in exaggerated whispers - their typical chapel practice. Estelle had her hand next to Matthew's mouth, just in case he got too loud apparently. She was staring at the stained glass and making an apparently serious point to her older brother, who merely nodded. The oldest three prayed. Eugene - Flynn had his hands on the back of his neck and his head bowed so that his arms were covering his face. Leora was huddled on the floor with her knees tucked up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs with her hands clasped together and her head bowed. Rapunzel had seen her face when they came in. She knew that Leora was crying. Nicholas had his hands folded, his back straight, his eyes closed - but his lips puckered in and out and his fingers didn't stay quite still. He opened an eye once in a while to check on his littlest siblings, who were still whispering. And Rapunzel...Rapunzel could only stare up at the window and let the pain pour out of her heart. The window above her offered a strange amount of comfort, with St. Joseph covering the Madonna and Child under his great cloak. Just like Eugene. That was the first thought that came into her head, her husband covering his wife and newborn in the cold and letting himself freeze. She glanced over at the culprit Leora. That had been a birth to remember, and all she could see was Eugene's face, streaked with tears and desperate for both their lives. She felt that way now. She was just as helpless and desperate now as Eugene had been then. Strength. She needed strength! She sighed and gazed at the window again to focus on something else. She kept trying to pray, but her thoughts were everywhere. If only there was just a bit of the sun, the smallest bit left. Rapunzel saw the tiniest coil of gold in the corner of her eye and followed it over to the Holy Infant, surrounded in a brilliant burst of light. It was the sun, the sun that was everywhere in Corona - she had never realized that it was there too. Surrounding the nativity, surrounding the Child, surrounding them in the stars in the night sky...could it mean something? Just one more time, God. She prayed. One last time. Estelle suddenly popped up beside her with her beautiful, semi-innocent smile. She put her elbows on Rapunzel's lap and looked up at her with huge green eyes.

"Mite love dada." she whispered out of the blue. Rapunzel smiled - her first smile of the day - and brushed her baby's hair out if her face.

"He knows you do, darling." Rapunzel whispered. "Everything's going to be alright." Estelle grinned wider and climbed onto Rapunzel's lap, nestling into her chest.

She didn't know how long they prayed and she didn't hear the running or shouting in the hall outside. Suddenly the doors were thrown open by one of the young squires. Rapunzel started and her heart froze. Eugene. It had to be Eugene. The squire was breathing hard, like he had been all over the castle in a breakneck run, rendering his face impossible to read.

"Princess mam." He gasped. He looked up now with his brow furrowed and Rapunzel felt like her heart had been ripped out and thrown into her shoes.

"Yes?" She whispered.

"Princess, he's calling for you." Rapunzel let out a very small, relieved sob and set Estelle on the floor before pushing past the startled boy and racing for her room. If the doctor had told the boy to say this just to get her in there to tell her the worst, than there would be two funerals. Behind her the older children solemnly took their younger siblings in hand and brought them back to the bedroom. Mite held back for a moment, so Flynn picked her up and carried her out, not seeing how she smiled at the Nativity window like she had some secret as she waved good-bye.

Rapunzel nearly broke her neck getting to Eugene. She threw caution to the wind and barreled through the doors, past her mother and the physician, who had one hand on Eugene's wrist and a watch in the other one. Rapunzel was already on the bed, running her hands through his hair, feeling with some gratitude that he was still burning with fever - merely because that proved to her that he wasn't dead. His shirt was open and his chest was bare. Just another stab from Fredrics, saying that Eugene's heart was too weak to hear even through that thin layer. It was still strong. She could hear it! The doctor shook his head, carelessly dropping the sick man's arm back on the bed, reminding Rapunzel with a harsh stab of Gothel doing the same thing to Eugene. From her that had been to punish him. Rapunzel was pretty certain that Dr. Fredrics just didn't care.

"They said he called for me." She whispered, cradling his head and shoulders in her arms as she looked with longing into his closed eyes.

"He did." Her mother answered. "He even opened his eyes. He was looking for you."

"I'm sorry." She whispered into his hair, kissing his forehead. "I'm sorry I wasn't here." Rapunzel's mother just looked on, her heart breaking open to see her daughter like this. If he could have survived at all, the physician had told the queen that the damage done to his heart would kill him in a matter of a few years - probably less. Nimble, bright Eugene would have been an invalid for his last years, but if Rapunzel could have had him for just a while longer...it was neither here nor there.

"Your highness." Dr. Fredrics asked quietly. "What-"

"You can't do anything, so get out." Rapunzel ordered him in a low voice.

"Highness?" He questioned her, the absolute shock evident in his tone and his face.

"Please get out of my room." She corrected herself. "Now." Rapunzel added, looking up just enough to see the little man on the edge of her vision. Sounding terribly embarrassed, he cleared his throat, grabbed his jacket, and bowed several times backing out the whole way and almost running into the door. Rapunzel sighed and looked back down at Eugene, curling his longer hairs around her finger and stroking his thin face. The queen stood by, staring at her hands awkwardly before she very quietly cleared her throat.

"Rapunzel, sweet, do you want me to bring the children in to say...to say good night?" Rapunzel was silent for a long while, looking into her husband's face, searching it, as if she could talk with him; almost as if she was. Her mother didn't mean good night, of course. She wanted them to say good bye, but it just couldn't be like that. Finally she answered but without looking up, shaking her head.

"No." She said quietly. "No. They will see him in the morning." The queen looked for a long time at her daughter, her throat too tight to speak, to do anything but sob, so she backed out of the room and closed the doors.

And now at last Rapunzel was alone with him again. She gazed at him for a long time, stroking his hair. She thought of their lives together; the first time they met made her smile. She remembered seeing his face in the light of the lanterns for the lost princess, their journey together to knowing who they were, their wedding, the taste of his kiss and her reception of his deep love for her so many times. No man had ever loved like Eugene did! She saw his eyes aching to take the pain away as she gave birth to their children, and always she came back to recalling when his head was in her lap for the first time - when he had died there. He wouldn't this time. He couldn't. She kissed his face, his neck, his nose that had long since ceased to be a source of vanity. Then she propped a pillow behind her back. She would stay up the entire night.

It was a long night - one not broken once by Eugene's raving about something or someone. She really hadn't minded standing by his side the whole time. She was there for him. She needed to be there for him, just like he had always been there for her, in good times and in bad. There hadn't been...all that many bad times. But when there had been bad times; when they had suffered loss or when one or the other (alright, usually Eugene) had been ill or injured, even on the few occasions when they been at each other's throats - still they held on. They had gotten stronger. Her fingers traveled the length of his face, taking in every shape, every jutting, straight line and tears fell out of her eyes. Just tears now, they were nothing more. "I want you to hold me one last time." She whispered, choking on the tears that had built there over the night of contemplating. "I want you to look into my eyes and know my name." But he was still and did not respond. She sobbed out a rush of tears, laying her head on his chest, not seeing the tiniest brilliant curls of light that blossomed out here and there... "Don't leave us." She finally begged him, running her hands over his warm chest. Warm. His chest was warm. Though she knew that she had felt the sun creeping up to touch her back, she suddenly felt something else. Rapunzel gasped, looking into that face, her heart torn at the thought of seeing it lifeless and the hand on her back belonging to her comforting mother or father. But instead Eugene - her Eugene Fitzherbert - was gazing at her; smiling a little weakly, but he was smiling.

"You know, there's this one brunette..." He breathed, his smile breaking into a grin.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel gasped as an elated sob broke out of her throat and she attacked his head in a furious embrace. He couldn't push himself up and hold her like had all those years ago, but his arm wrapped around her back and stroked her hair. Then she sat up, pulling him over onto her knees and kissing him like mad, not noticing or caring what his breath tasted like just at that moment. Eugene gasped - very softly - as if he was surprised; though he should have been used to suffocation by wife at this point. This time his lips curved in a smile. This time he kissed her back.

The morning had gotten on, and there was no sound coming from the sickroom. No one had had the courage to enter it. The couple's children were playing in their room, giggling and laughing softly, bringing a blush of life once more to the stony halls. The court physician steeled himself to enter the Fitzherbert's suite, opening the doors without knocking. The door to the bed chamber was closed, which did not surprise him. No doubt Prince Eugene had died during the night. He was certain that the princess would not have left him, and equally certain that she would be too distraught to call someone. The bed chamber was silent as he entered, the curtains drawn - he did not recall having drawn them the the night before. Perhaps the maids had; but there was no movement from Rapunzel when he walked in. Fredrics glanced at the bed and gave a start. There were two forms in the it, and his first thought was that the princess had killed herself in her grief. He raced over and was at the bedside before he heard soft breathing, deep and restful; and the breathing of two people. There were smiles on both of their lips. Rapunzel's head was laying on Eugene's bare chest over his beating heart. One of her hands was beneath her head, though not covering her ear, and the other was clasping Eugene's. He tripped backwards and barely saved himself from falling when he saw Eugene's fingers intertwined in the laces of her dress. They wouldn't have! Of course, they couldn't have. They were - ehem, never mind. The physician barely dared to touch Eugene's. Instead he touched the prince's neck, almost thinking it cold for a moment, he was so used to the fever. A pulse came, ready and strong. Fredrics was shocked, but that was it - sufficient for the moment. The fever had turned. As far as he could tell, Princess Rapunzel had her miracle.

Not wishing to impose on them anymore, he turned around to sneak out, only to meet the worried eyes of the queen and king together as they had rushed into the room. He was used to dispensing with bows and courtesies, so he had no problem at all covering her mouth when he saw her eyes wild. The king looked like he was going to deck him until he noticed that he was holding a finger over his lips and nodding for them to leave the room. Fredrics closed the door to the bed chamber quietly and walked to the other end of the room before facing the king and queen.

"What has happened?" The queen gasped. "Is Rapunzel ill now as well? I had thought, when I didn't see her sitting up... I'm so afraid of what might have happened..."

"And I still insist that that kind of talk is ridiculous. She loves Eugene, yes, but she would not have been driven so mad as to forget her children!"

"Such things have happened, majesties," he said quite seriously. "But she is quite well." He added quickly when he saw that the queen looked like she was going to cry again

"And Eugene?" Nicholas asked, apprehensive but slightly eager.

"I do not know what happened," Fredrics replied, shaking his head incredulously, "but he broke the fever. I thought at first he might be dead, but his pulse beats as it should, and stronger then I ever would have thought that it could again."

"He's alright." The queen gasped, her hand flying to her bosom and her eyes closing in relief.

"Yes, your majesty. And if I did not know better I would have thought him ill for no longer then a few days. His breathing also seems strong. If I knew no better I would tell you that he had never contracted pneumonia."

"Thank God." Isabell breathed, leaning into her husband who held her as they both cried a little.

"Baby Jesus!" They heard an insistent little voice suddenly, making them laugh.

"What's that you say, Mite?" The queen chuckled, picking up her granddaughter and setting her on her hip.

"Baby Jesus!" She said matter-of-factly. "I tolded him I miss my dada. Flynn-"

"Eugene, dear. Your brother's name is Eugene." the queen chided, but the tot shook her head in vigorous opposition.

"Dada and Mite call him Flynn. Mite can't say Ugene, and Flynn can't play horsey for Mite!" She nodded, explaining patiiently to the foolish adults things that they could not understand. Just as suddenly her mood sobered. "Mite not wana see mama cries on dada when she so sad." Her baby lip jutted out as she shook her head. Her grandparents exchanged glances. Where had she been sneaking around? "Jesus' dada ina window just like my dada." She grinned. "With mmm mmm mmm ona chin!" She proceeded to rub her grandfather's hand with her soft baby chin, but they knew what she meant.

"Yes, dear, he is a little."

"Nope! Just like my dada."

"Alright, just like him." Her grandmother conceded. The little girl nodded in profuse agreement.

"But, dear, I don't understand what that has to do with your daddy."

"I tolded Him I gotta have a dada like He got. Maids said He want my dada, 'cause he sick, and if He want my dada, Mite want His."

"Estelle!"

"No, I Mite! He little just like Mite. He know Mite need dada." She grinned. "Wanna go." She proclaimed, straightening her legs so suddenly that she slid right out of the queen's grip and to the floor - exactly as she had intended. She was across the room and through the door before anyone could move to stop her, squealing and giggling as she ran toward the bed.

"Dada! Dada! Dada! Don't let 'em catch me!" She shrieked. It was still dark in the room, but there was enough light for them to see a pair of arms reach over and scoop up the screaming toddler as she came to the edge of the bed. And they heard something that it seemed like eternity since they had last heard it. Eugene growled.

It did take a ridiculous effort for him to hoist her onto the bed, but that didn't matter. He pretended to gobble her up first and laughed softly as he tickled her into hysterics; a feat that didn't take all that much energy or he likely could not have done it. Rapunzel smiled beside them, laughing with Estelle before she started crying suddenly, covering her face as grateful sobs shook her body and Eugene stopped his game short, drawing her down again with a gentle hand and pressing their little girl in between them. Estelle wasn't protesting and didn't seem at all confused as her little arms encircled the necks of her parents.

"Hold me. Just hold me, Eugene Fitzherbert." Rapunzel begged. So Eugene held her tight in his weakened arms with his beard catching in her hair as he nestled his face into it. It had been so long, just so long. She was his again, she was safe in his arms. He couldn't ever let her go.

"..my new dream." He heard his darling wife whisper into his chest. Poor little Mite slipped out and looked on in confusion, waiting for the grown-ups to stop being so silly.

"And you are mine." He whispered the familiar exchange. "Forever."

sorry if you read the last version of this. I re-edited it and like it this way much better. There is an epilogue coming up, so stay tuned ^_^ thanks for reading :D


	13. Chapter 13

Rapunzel cuddled Estelle's head under her chin. It was late, but the lanterns couldn't be lit until a while after sunset. Eugene passed behind her, brushing her waist with his hand and kissing her neck. Rapunzel smiled and reached her hand back, touching his as he walked away. He was back. It was so good to have him back! He was smiling at Leora, who was handing her lanterns out to her brothers. Flynn was busy rolling his eyes, Nicholas looked all too interested in the fact that there was going to be fire, and Matthew was just excited to be up that late again. Rapunzel looked at the lantern that she had decorated for herself and Eugene. She usually played with the design, making each lantern significant for the previous year. This year was different. This year Rapunzel had painted it to look like the lanterns that Eugene had bought for them on her eighteenth birthday. It was so simple, but it meant so much. She touched the edges gently as she watched it float an inch from the pedestal tied down by two ribbons; a gold and purple ribbon and now a teal and cream ribbon. Her and Eugene. Estelle reached down and patted her mama's arm urgently, pointing to the left. Rapunzel looked up to see Matthew staring over the edge of the balcony with his lantern tight in his eager little hands, and Nicholas behind him - singing the ends of his brother's hair with his lantern. As Rapunzel was about to leap forward, Eugene saw the same thing and smacked the back of his head and shaking his head with a tight-lipped dad stare. Nicholas cleared his throat and stepped away, fidgeting with a wide-eyed stare away over the balcony. Rapunzel relaxed and shook her head. Yes, everything was certainly back to normal! She peered over the balcony, seeing how dark the sky was getting. It would just be a few minutes before they started. Her parents would come out when it was time. But it seemed like there was something missing. Rapunzel craned her neck longingly seeing her sons holding their lanterns and Leora with her own and Mite - Estelle's in hand. There were two missing. She turned away, taking her baby girl's hand and kissing it to push away her tears. Tonight was a night to celebrate. She felt Leora's hand on Estelle's and reached out to take it for her, but Leora shook her head, letting her sister hug her soft framed lantern as she brought out her last two lanterns. They were quite small, with ribbons that matched the ribbons on her parents' lantern. One for the little girl, one for the little boy - Rapunzel had always felt certain hat her first loss was a girl and the second a boy. Leora knew that. Rapunzel took one in hand at a time with tears springing from her eyes. Soft gold and violet flowers swirled the base of one with her and Eugene's silhouettes, while on the second; bound with courses of teals, blues and brown, she and her husband danced across the lantern. Rapunzel accidentally let a quiet sob break out of her lips as she gathered Leora into a joyous embrace. They weren't missing - they were there; maybe not as much as the rest of them, but she knew that her babies were celebrating with them. Eugene came behind her, put his hands on her waist and kissed her from behind.

"Are you ready, Blondie?" He whispered. Rapunzel smiled and nodded. Leora finished tying her little lanterns onto her parents' and joined her brothers as the king and queen came out onto the balcony. Rapunzel handed Estelle to her mother and took Eugenes hand, starting to sing. Eugene smiled in surprise, waiting with his hand near the pedestal until Rapunzel came to her chorus. She wasn't looking at the lanterns, the people, not even the children. Her hand touched that of her husband as they released the lantern. Eugene was singing to her again. He smiled and brushed her loose hairs back, gathering her into his arms as they watched the lanterns rise in the sky. It was not, perhaps their exact dream. It was more than they dreamed it would be. Estelle yawned and reached for Eugene.

"Mite like lights." She sighed dreamily. Eugene kissed her head with a smile and pulled it down into his chest. She sounded tired. Maybe they would be lucky that night and she would sleep.

Eugene flopped down onto the couch and puffed out an exaggerated sigh.

"Well, they're all in bed!" he said, leaning his head back and glancing at Rapunzel. She smiled at him.

"Yes, Flynn and Leora are such a chore!" She said sarcastically. Eugene rolled his eyes.

"Estelle is a monster!" He exclaimed. "I swear I told her five stories and she was still more awake then I am!"

"They're just happy to have you back." Rapunzel whispered with her hand gently rubbing the back of his neck. Her voice sounded a little husky, but she was still smiling at him. Eugene leaned forward and kissed her. Rapunzel sighed and leaned into him. It had been so long! His arm swept down over her waist and down to her knees before he lifted her in his arm, not separating once to take a deep breath. "Eugene. Mmmm, Eugene."

"Yeah?"

"They're all in bed, but are you sure they're sleeping?" They meaning one in particular.

"Well I was pretty sure she looked it." he answered a little testily. He didn't really want to cool off.

"Estelle gets around. I don't want to have her sneaking in on - um, you know - anything."

"Why would she do that?"

"Well I don't know! When you were sick she found a way up here."

"So Mite was playing the spy. Do you think anyone else knew about it?"

"She showed it to Matthew."

"Little stinker."

"Just like her adorable father."

"Pft. I am not adorable. At least not in this state."

"Oh, you've started filling out again." Rapunzel replied smartly, poking his flat midriff. Eugene moved his hand quickly to stop her.

"Hey! Stop poking the fat old man!"

"You're not old." She corrected him.

"Oh, just fat. Have it your way." He answered, wrinkling his nose.

"Mite."

"I will." She quipped back. "I am the spoiled princess, after all."

"Yeah, we all know that eighteen years in a tower will do that to you." he muttered. "You know, speaking of towers -"

"We weren't, Eugene."

"I was. Try to keep up, Zel!" He said with mock authority. "I was about to point out the lanterns. I don't ever remember their looking quite that bright - except for one time." He said smoothly.

"That first time, on the lake." she whispered with a hand on his face. Then she ruined the moment by sitting up with a revelation. "Oh, we should have taken the children out on the lake!"

"Are you kidding me? " Eugene grinned, accepting temporary defeat. "Mite would have been trying to drown herself the entire time."

"You need to stop calling her that." Rapunzel insisted.

"What?"

"Mite."

"Why? It's cute!"

"Eugene? Really? Flynn I can handle; that's adorable - and it makes me think of when we first met."

"Yep, frying pan and all." Eugene sighed as if being knocked out with one was his dearest memory - he actually had pretty spotty recall about that part Of their introduction. "Besides that," he reasoned, "it's an attractive name." Rapunzel rolled her eyes.

"To each his own."

"I liked it." Eugene shrugged.

"Yes. Alright. So, Flynn I understand. But Mite?"

"She's so little! It fits her!" He exclaimed, leaping up in defense of his favorite nickname. Well, he didn't actually move - he was too comfortable where he was - but his voice got louder.

"Eugene, really?"Rapunzel moaned. "People are going to think she's a bug."

"Princess Mite?" Eugene asked, his face initially twisted before he just shrugged. "Nope, still adorable."

"Ugh! Eugene Fitzherbert, I don't know what I'll ever do with you!" She said, throwing her hands up in the air. Eugene pretended to think for about three seconds before taking the opportunity to nestle his head into her lap, grinning ridiculously.

"Kiss me and call me cute?" He suggested, looking up at her. Rapunzel rolled her eyes before laughing and kissing him, but she didn't say he was cute. Instead her eyes lingered on his face; every shape, every line as her fingertips ran down his cheek to the beard on his chin - which was once more trimmed to its customary tameness. She had almost lost him again. Her lips opened a little as she smiled, but only a broken sound came out, and her eyes filled with tears. His hand reached up quickly to her face, caressing her cheek. "Hey." He breathed, getting up and gathering her in his arms. "It's just me." Rapunzel let out a sob, trying to turn it into a laugh.

"There's no such thing as 'just' you, my beautiful Eugene Fitzherbert." She sniffled,wiping her nose with her sleeve as he pressed his lips onto her temple.

"I'm just - Rapunzel, I'm so sorry for this whole last month." He whispered.

"Sorry?!" Rapunzel gasped. "You talk like you enjoyed almost dying like that! Eugene, you were miserable, what do you have to be sorry about?"

"Making you so miserable." He whispered. "Maybe I shouldn't have...but the poor kids without anyone in the world - well I couldn't just..."

"No. You should NOT have stayed from the orphanage. You were the only help they had, Eugene. And those poor kids were so worried about you that they sent word asking after you every day!"

"Every day? Poor kids. I should go visit them - Rapunzel, did they all recover? Are they alright?" He gasped, ashamed that he had been too busy to think about them. Rapunzel turned away a little, not facing him.

"No." She whispered. "Little Ginny. It was too much for her."

"When?" He asked, his voice cracked with pain.

"The day after you didn't recognize me." She gasped. Eugene wasn't looking directly at her and couldn't see why her voice wasn't any louder. "I'm afraid that I was just so wrapped up in my own pain-"

"No, Rapunzel, don't -" He started, but she broke out suddenly in tears with the pains she had held throughout most of the last two months.

"Eugene, when you almost died - Eugene, I knew you just couldn't die! I just knew there was more for you to do." She cried desperately, her head turned away from him. He held her closer. There would be time to grieve his little orphan friend, but now was not it. His darling wife was breaking open on the inside, he needed to finally be there again. "I was dying inside, Eugene." she sobbed. "I don't know if I could have lived seeing you die again, even with our poor children. I just...every time I came upon someone unexpectedly they were busy planning your funeral! And the meeting of delegates! Well, I'll not tell you what it was he said."

"Your mother told me."

"What? Why..."

"That way I know how to act around them next time." He shrugged and Rapunzel could hear that his teeth were clenched tight.

"They are horrible men."

"Most of them."

"Stop trying to calm me down!"

"It's working, isn't it, babe?"

"Yes." Rapunzel replied sulkily.

"Listen, babe; I know that this is a lot to ask - but don't you think that you can just...let that go?"

"I've been trying. I've been trying since I stormed out of the conference room. I know it'll come."

"You're amazing, Blondie." He whispered. She smiled when he kissed her again and draped her arm over his shoulder.

"Well, they'll be happy when you're back. I don't think they liked me very well."

"They aren't used to stunning women biting their heads off. Besides, I think you were a little preoccupied."

"Just a little bit, not like most of them seemed to care."

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel. If I had just -"

"Eugene! Will you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Blaming yourself! Why do you think I hold it against you? I don't!"

"I'm not, Zel. I just...I know you aren't mad at me...I - I don't know." He sighed in exasperation. "There has just been too much happening, my poor Rapunzel."

"I know." Rapunzel whispered and then smiled quickly. Eugene knew that look. She didn't mean to, but she recalled something else immediately. Her eyes cast down and away from him. She was trying to hide her pain again.

"I'm sorry." Eugene said quickly, pulling her head down on his chest. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean anything."

"No, it's not you. It's alright, Eugene. I don't - baby, don't feel bad!" She moaned. "See, I'm just fine." She smiled, turning her face up to his. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking quite concerned into her green eyes while his one hand rubbed her thin belly gently. He knew what was wrong, and he felt like he hadn't been there for her. Her small hand moved up and clasped his.

"I'm sure." She answered.

"How are all of the kids doing?"

"Eugene, you weren't out of it for that long."

"Babe, this is the first time I've had in a month to really talk to you."

"Oh, you talked plenty for part of it."

"Rapunzel. I don't remember any of that, and you know I couldn't get that doctor out of my hair in the last two weeks."

"I know it. For once he was acting like you were something special."

"I just think that he didn't want to believe I had survived."

"Yeah, he was treating you a bit like a fair entry."

"But in all the time that I was ill, he never once asked you-"

"No." Rapunzel whispered with both hands over her stomach. Eugene's jaw was tight, but he didn't say what he was thinking about Fredrics. Had anyone cared what Rapunzel was going through that whole time? In the first week of course they did, and then they were all ill, and then he was ill for close to a month. She had needed him and he couldn't be there like she had needed him to be. "I - I want to try again, Eugene. I'm ready to try again." She whispered. Eugene nodded and drew her close, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Are you?" She breathed.

"I think so, Zel." He whispered after a second. "I just - I wish I had really been there for you. You were always so busy, poor little thing." He whispered, kissing her hair. She turned around and looked into his eyes, but Rapunzel saw his eyes go from contemplation of one thing to something else. He was staring out at nothing and she saw a pain start to form in those deep dark eyes. His mouth was trembling just the very tiniest bit. She never saw Eugene's lip quiver. "Rapunzel, you don't think that - because it was so close in time - I...I probably should have died, and what if the baby -"

"No!" Rapunzel gasped, forcing him to look at her. "No, Eugene. Don't you ever, EVER blame yourself in any way for having lost our baby."

"Babe," he moaned. Unwanted tears came into his eyes. It was so much pain! "How-"

"Stop! You stop, Eugene!" She whispered, covering his mouth with her hand. "Don't torture yourself like that for something you couldn't change! None of us could change it, Eugene!" She gasped with tears flooding out of her eyes. Eugene gasped and fell into her shoulder, letting her encircle him. Shouldn't he have been doing that? They sat like that for a long time. Neither of them noticed how warm it was outside or how much warmer the crackling fire made them.

"Shhhhh." She said softly. "It's alright."

"We keep telling each other that, Zel. Do we really believe it?"

"You know we do. We just think that we have to keep reminding ourselves. We don't have to, it just feels better. All we have to do is look around us. All we have to do is remember the five reasons that we know everything will be alright."

"Even the one that doesn't sleep?" Rapunzel heard him ask. She smiled. Even in his pain he had to try to lighten things.

"Especially the one that doesn't sleep!" She insisted.

"I love you, Rapunzel." He whispered, sighing in a deep, weary breath. She kissed him again, stroking his back soothingly and listening to the soft clank of his loose buckles with the sound of his calming breath. Rapunzel's eye caught sight of the half finished bottle of wine on the table. This wasn't quite how either of them had envisioned the night. She had another garment laid out on the bed, but if it wasn't needed for that night she would understand. She could sit there and hold him all night, listen to him breath steadily and strong without that horrible coughing and choking, without feeling him burn up in her arms. "Is this how it's going to be all night?" He asked. "You and I taking turns breaking down in sobbing heaps?"

"Doesn't have to be." She answered with a smile. "This is a night for celebrating. And our babies are both watching us from heaven. You know they are."

"I know it, sweet." He breathed as he pulled himself up to look into her eyes.

"And all the more reason to celebrate, Fredrics said that you are in complete health."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Well, when you were ill he told us that if you survived that you would be an invalid for the rest of your life - and that the rest of your life wouldn't be very long." Rapunzel's voice fell into a whisper at that last part. It didn't seem to matter how many times she said it, or how many different ways. The fear and pain of losing Eugene again was not a memory that she could erase. Eugene's eyes widened and he fell back in the chair, shaking his head.

"I had no idea. Zel, I didn't know what you were going through - babe, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think it mattered. I - I knew that you would be alright." She said with just the smallest bit of doubt in her voice. "Even if you were bedridden for the rest of your life - Eugene, I still would have had you. I just - I thought that not telling you might help."

"I think we were both keeping secrets from each other."

"You?"

"I knew that I might die." Eugene admitted. "Actually I knew that I probably would die. I - I told Eugene and Leora."

"And you didn't -"

"I couldn't tell you! I didn't want to. I don't want to leave you! And - and with the delirium of those last few months -"

"It was only a week, Eugene." Rapunzel corrected him with her voice catching in her throat. Eugene smiled gently and held her.

"It seemed so long. It was so dark and so...painful. I was lost, and I was dying. I know what it feels like to die and I know that I was dying, Rapunzel, and I couldn't find you. I may have dreamed I was doing other things, but I only remember trying to find you, looking for your light to tell you good-bye if I had to. And then I finally saw it. I finally heard your voice, and I heard you saying my name and I saw you. I finally found you, and you pulled me out of the dark."

"I didn't do that."

"You always do that. How did I ever deserve a wife like you?"

"For the same reason I deserved a husband like you." She whispered.

"Don't degrade yourself." He muttered, kissing her hair. "I don't know why you ever wanted me to stick around, but I'm glad that you did."

"So am I. I'm glad you decided to stick around. Don't ever leave me again?" She begged, her green eyes peering up pleadingly, brilliant in the firelight.

"Never again." He whispered, bending down to kiss her lips. Two weeks ago he had woken from the delirium with no sign of the fever other then having wasted away, but he was starting to gain weight back, and two weeks was all that Fredrics had wanted them to wait until he was sure that Eugene wasn't suffering from any after affects of the fever. "I'm here for you for good. No getting rid of me, even if Fredrics doesn't like me."

"He doesn't like either of us." She added.

"And he thinks that we have too many children."

"Oh does he?" Rapunzel gasped, almost like she was accepting a challenge.

"Probably because he never had any." Eugene shrugged.

"I'm glad that we have." Rapunzel sighed happily, running her toes along his leg. "Speaking of which; I mean since he doesn't like either of us anyway, why not plague him more?" She asked coyly.

"What?" Eugene mumbled, only partially paying attention to her words as she leaned further into him, wrapping one hand about his shoulder and kissing his neck, feeling his warm breath against hers.

"Hmm, what about those dozen kids you promised me?" Rapunzel cooed softly in his ear. Eugene swung away from her a bit, his 'charm' grin glinting softly in the firelight. Rapunzel leaned back and looked at him with a smolder of her own and gleaming eyes. He snuck his hand around her waist, pulling her slowly closer.

"Wanna go make a baby?" He muttered in a low voice, leaning down enough so that their noses touched.

"Mhmmm." Rapunzel answered, pulling him swiftly down on the couch and kissing him with a deep sigh. Eugene returned the kiss even more deeply and held her closer.

"Me too! Mite wanna help!" A two year old's head bobbed over the back of the couch, making both parents bolt up in surprise with reddened faces.

"Estelle!" They cried together, neither of them able to regain a firm composure at once.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Eugene demanded.

"Not tired! No time for bed!" She cried. "Mite wanna make a baby!" She yelled emphatically, clambering over the top of their seat.

"Oh no you don't." Eugene muttered, prying himself off of the couch and snagging her with one arm. Estelle squealed. "I'm going to put you under a guard tonight." Rapunzel heard him grumble as he walked through the door.

"Wait! Dada, Mite's bed over there!" She said, pointing to her room. Eugene didn't stop or look in her direction.

"Will you stay in it?" He asked.

"Nope." She answered with blatant honesty.

"That's what I thought." He walked past several doors and to the central staircase. Then he went down said staircase, past several guards in their nightly sentinels. At first glance some of the guards thought it was a surprise inspection - until Estelle would giggle at some awkward moment. One look from Eugene was enough to tell them not to make the same mistake. He had already decided on Mite's next victim. "You're mother is so afraid people are going to think you're a bug." He muttered to his giggling toddler, "But I think it's fair warning. Right, Mite?"

"Me dada's Mite!" She agreed profusely, trying to hug his leg as he kept moving.

"Dada's Mite needs to listen and go to sleep."

"Mite want sleep with you and mama."

"Not tonight."

"But wanna make baby with you!"

"No."

"Can Mite watch?"

"Be quiet, Estelle." Eugene said even more tersely as her words echoed down corridors and to the ears of every guard in the palace. It was no secret now what he and Rapunzel were doing.

"But mama-" Eugene stopped her words abruptly with a large hand over her chattering mouth. This wasn't fair! The two year old could be running laps around him and it was almost midnight. After all of five minutes that had taken an eternity to get over, Eugene came to the door that he was after and knocked loudly. It took a few minutes for someone to finally come in answer.

"Prince Eugene!" The guard yawned in surprise as he snapped to attention.

"Rudolph, I'm calling in a favor. Sorry about the time of night-"

"Anything, sir. You name it." The guard replied. Eugene tipped up a grinning toddler, moved the hair away from her face and pushed her toward the startled guard.

"Guard Mite under lock and key if you have to, but whatever happens, don't let the little imp out of your sight!"

"Sir, I...uhhh."

"Just one night, Rudolph." Eugene muttered, barely keeping his voice away from pleading. Mite shook her head and grabbed the guard's collar, explaining quite seriously,

"My mama and dada are gonna make a-" Eugene covered her mouth again, his reflex slower than it normally would have been, but it was late and he was frustrated. Rudolph colored a little bit and wrapped his arm a little tighter around the toddler.

"I'll keep a watch on her, sir." The guard said, watching her yawn.

"If you're going to fall asleep then tie a bell around her ankle or something. That girl can get around."

"Yes, sir. I will, Eugene. Enjoy -er- good night, sir."

"Good night, Rudolph. Good night, Estelle."

"Mite!"

"Goodnight, Mite."

"Nighty, dada." She said cutely, leaning on Rudolph like she was sleepy. Well, he would see how that had gone once morning came. Right now he bounded back up to the room, invigorating himself with the quick pace. He opened the main door, closing them behind him quickly before he came to their bedroom suit. The fire was still crackling, and he hoped his lovely wife hadn't fallen asleep waiting for him to make love to her. Well, if she had he wouldn't wake her. He would be happy to spend the night watching her sleep in the firelight. He opened the bedroom doors quietly, turning and locking them before he even looked up. He felt a hand slide around his waist under his vest and he smelled roses as Rapunzel embraced him. She had taken that time to prepare herself for her husband. Eugene turned and saw his Rapunzel glorious, arrayed in torrents of silk, smiling like a flower at dawn. He lifted her into his arms and kissed her, not ready to release her until the morning light. It was good to be well again.

And they're living happily ever after

A huge thank you to everyone who has read this story!

I apologize gofer how long it took me to get this last chapter together! It was bust hard to have all of this without repeating myself over and over! There is a lot more story that I wanted to include in it, but twin e it was an epilogue that really didn't work! If you thought this was a bit risqué in the least, please let me know so can fix it!

Again, thank you so much! Look for more in the future ;)


End file.
